Carta dell'Isola di Corsica

Rare map of Corsica taken from the Uebersetzung der Algemeinen Welthistorie, die in Engeland durch eine Geselschaft von Gelehrten ausgefertiget worden published in Halle by the heirs of publisher Johann Justinus Gebauer in about 1787.

The map is based on the very famous relief by Domenico Policardi, published in Genoa in 1769 with the title: Carta dell'isola di Corsica, dedicata a sua eccelenza il signor Giuseppe Rocco Boyer de Fonscolombe commendatore, e gran croce dell'ordine di San Michele di Baviera, governatore della citta d'Hieres in Provenza / Domenico Policardi capitano ingegniere.

The cartouche containing the title is identical; at the bottom, just like Policardi's map, it contains “descrizione del numero degli abitanti dall'età degli anni 17 sino alli 60, come pure di tutta la Popolazione intera”.

Although the representation is slightly distorted horizontally, the morphology of the territory is graphically rendered in rather high graphic detail. The cartouche in the upper right-hand corner depicts a dog that closely resembles a "cursino" the typical dog of the island. On the lower right is the island of Capraia.

This reduction of Policardi's map is made to illustrate the writings of Johann Friedrich LeBret (1732 Untertürkheim - 1807 à Tübingen) was a theologian, historian, professor at the Hohe Karlsschule and chancellor of the University of Tübingen. As a historian, LeBret devoted himself primarily to Italian history. His main works were a history of the Republic of Venice and a history of Italy, published in 1769. He expanded his history of Italy for the new edition of the "General History of the World" published by Franz Dominikus Häberlin, which was republished by Johann Justinus Gebauer and his son Johann Jakob Gebauer. These seven large volumes cover the history of Italy from the early Middle Ages to the 1780s and were published from 1784 to 1790 in Geschichte von Italien und allen allda gegründeten ältern und neuern Staaten.

Although some assign this map of Corsica, as author, to Johann Friedrich LeBret, it seems more correct to attribute it to Johann Jakob Gebauer, publisher and printer of the map, copied from Policardi's survey.

Etching, finely hand-colored, in excellent condition.