Nicolas Sanson (1600-1667), Asia Vetus

Nicolas Sanson (1600-1667) Asia VetusParis: Nicolas Sanson, 1667Copperplate engraving with original hand colorPaper size: 21 1/2" x 30 1/4"Map of Ancient Asia, using ancient names for the places shown.Nicholas Sanson (1600-1667) is considered the father of French cartography in its golden age from the mid-seventeenth century to the mid-eighteenth. Over the course of his career he produced over 300 maps; they are known for their clean style and extensive research. Sanson was largely responsible for beginning the shift of cartographic production and excellence from Amsterdam to Paris in the later-seventeenth century.Sanson was born in Abbeville in Picardy. He made his first map at age twenty, a wall map of ancient Gaul. Upon moving to Paris, he gained the attention of Cardinal Richelieu, who made an introduction of Sanson to King Louis XIII. This led to Sanson's tutoring of the king and the granting of the title ingenieur-geographe du roi.His success can be chalked up to his geographic a