The second state of a magnificent chart in full early wash colour of Brittany. It extends from St. Malo in the north to the mouth of the Loire River. It is engraved by the highly skilled artist Romain de Hooghe (1645-1708). Significant detail onshore is provided. Legends on the map provide navigational guidance along with the pre-requisite anchorage points and depth soundings. Insets lower left display views of St. Malo, Brest, Conquerneau, and Port Louis ou Blavet. They are set in a beautiful cartouche surmounted by a deduction to Simon de Beaumont, Secretary of the States of Holland and Westfriesland with his coat of arms above. The chart is adorned with no less than thirty-six ships, two of which are depicted in battle off the northwest coast. The waters to the north are specifically labelled ‘La Manche ou La Mer Britannique’.‘

‘In 1692 Pierre Mortier had published a Dutch contrefaçon of the ‘Atlas Nouveau’ by Alexis-Hubert Jaillot. It was issued in partnership with Pierre Huguetan, a French bookseller resident in Amsterdam, who provided considerable financial backing. Their next project was an edition of L’Imprimerie Royale’s ‘Neptune François’, first published in 1693. For this Mortier employed the finest engravers and extended the work with the magnificent ‘Cartes Marines à l’usage du Roy de la Grande Bretagne’. It contained only nine charts. They are engraved by Romain de Hooghe, who was in the employ of William III at the time, and are arguably the most stunning sea charts produced to date.’ (Burden). The work is considered the most expensive maritime atlas ever published in Holland. Its maps are larger and more luxuriously decorated than those of any previously published work. Koeman stated that they were ‘the most spectacular type of maritime cartography ever produced.’. ‘Few great artists have turned their hands to mapmaking … Romeyn de Hooghe was an exception to the pattern. A celebrated artist from the late seventeenth century, he was responsible for a volume of nine sea charts.’ (Campbell).‘

In 1700 Mortier published a third work entitled ‘Suite du Neptune François’ which complimented the ‘Neptune François’ by providing charts of non-European waters. Along with the ‘Cartes Marine’ examples of all three works were published together. This second state has had the date 1693 erased from the running title above. Koeman does not cite a second state, but it is presumed to have been issued in the 1700 edition although the titlepage remains unaltered. Provenance: London Map Fair 1980s; private Jersey collection. Burden (2007) p. 486; Egmond (2009); Koeman (1967-70) IV Mor 5 E no. 3.