Roussel’s important wall map of Paris.

The map shows Paris and its environs, from Vincennes to the bois de Boulogne east to west, and from Saint-Denis to Bicêtre and Ivry north to south.

Roussel’s contemporaries praised his work for its accuracy and artistic qualities. Author of town plans, regional and border maps, his career spanned 40 years and gained him the title of Ingenieur du Roy.

The map was first published in 1730 and was sold by Robinot; the second edition was published in 1731 (the present example) and sold by Jaillot; further examples were published later in c1756, 1765, 1795, 1844. It was also used by John Rocque for his 1748 plan published in London.

Rare. We have been able to find only two other examples of the 1731 edition appearing on the market in the last 50 years.