This lovely little atlas has a little known history. “In Brussels, 1686, an octavo work on geography entitled the ‘Breve Description del Mundo’ by Sebastián Fernández de Medrano (1646-1705) was published. This was followed in 1690 by the ‘Nueva Descripcion del Mundo’ published by Jean Leonard. This work included a series of copper plate maps … The majority were derived from those of Nicolas de Fer as found in Jacques Robbe’s ‘Méthode pour Apprendre Facilement la Géographie’, 1685. The continents, however, are from a different source. No specific origin is readily recognised but it is an amalgam of Pierre Duval and Nicolas Sanson’s cartography. Some maps are identified as being engraved by Antoine de Winter but the continents were engraved by Jacques Harrewyn (1660-1727), a pupil of Romein de Hooghe.

“De Medrano was born in Mora, Spain, 24 October 1646, and after a time working as a shepherd joined the army. He made a career of it and became a student of the theory and practice of warfare. He published several treatises on the subject and was placed in charge of the first military academy in Brussels in 1674. The Approbation for the 1686 work acclaims his teaching skills and states that he was still able to write despite the fact that he was totally blind. He died 18 February 1705.

“In 1692 Jacques Peeters (1637-95) published in Antwerp a single volume book of geography entitled ‘L’Atlas en Abregé’ that included the same series of maps. In 1696 the same maps accompanied a geographical work by Don Francisco de Afferden (Franciscus van Aefferden, 1653-1709) entitled ‘El Atlas Abreviado, ô Compendiosa Geografia del Mundo Antiguo, y Nuevo’ and published by J. Duren in Antwerp” (Burden). Further works to 1725 included the same series of plates, all uncommon. Provenance: With inscription of ‘angellique’ inside the front cover; public auction 1994; private English collection; Clive A. Burden Ltd. (2012); Michael Paul Collection. Burden (1996-2007) 672; Hubbard (2004) pp. 16-24; Koeman (1967-70) Aff. 1 & Pee 1; Phillips (1909-) nos. 513; Shirley (2004) T.Peet-1a.