Lac Leman, Geneva and Savoy. One plate from Pierre Mortier's famous Wall map.

Mortier, Pierre; Covens, Jean & Mortier, Corneille. Le Grand Teatre de la Guerre en Italie partie 3. 3. Partie continent Les Duchés de Savoye, de Genevois, de Chablis, Les Comtes et Morienne, de Tarentais et La Baronie de faussigny, Le Balliage de Gex et la Seigneurie de Geneve Amsterdam. Covens et Mortier c1741
Copper engraved map of Lake Geneva/ Lac Leman and part of Savoy from Covens & Mortier's " Nieuwe Atlas, Inhoudennde vier Gedeeltens der Waereld.. " Original full wash colour; verso blank.
Third sheet of Pierre Mortier's large wall map Le Grand Teatre de la Guerre en Italie (c. 1705) re issued by Covens & Mortier. [van Egmond mentions two copies of this issue by Covens and Mortier.]
The are covered has Lac Leman to the North and the mountains of Savoy to the South. Dark impression; bright full wash colour; printed on heavy paper; light toning; light spot to right blank margin.
Paper extended with extra fold to fit in Atlas.

Covens & Mortier
as a firm existed between 1721-1778, taking over the business of Pierrre Mortier.
Johannes / Jean Covens and Cornelius Mortier were brothers- in- law following the former's marriage to Mortier's sister Agatha in 1721, when they also formally went in to partnership.

Under the Covens and Mortier imprint, Cornelius and Jean republished the works of the great 17th and early 18th century Dutch and French cartographers De L'Isle, Allard, Jansson, & De Wit. The firm would become one of the most prolific Dutch publishing concerns of the 18th century.
The company would pass down through the Covens family as Mortier had no children, changing the name to Covens & Zoon until Pieter Mortier IV a great grandson of the original founder joined the firm and saw the name restored to Mortier Covens & Zoon. ( See Koeman I p45).


Pierre Mortier (1661 - 1711) or Pieter Mortier was a cartographer, engraver, and print seller active in Amsterdam during the later 17th and early 18th centuries. Mortier, then known as Pieter, was born in Leiden. He relocated to Paris from 1681 to 1685, adopting the French name Pierre, which he retained throughout his career. There is developed deep French connections by bringing sophisticated Dutch printing technology and experience to nascent French map publishers such as De L'Isle, Sanson, Jaillot, de Fer and De Wit. Consequently, much of Mortier's business was built upon issuing embellished high quality editions of contemporary French maps. In the greater context of global cartography, this was a significant advantage as most Dutch map publishes had, at this point, fallen into the miasma of reprinting their own outdated works. By contrast, the cartographers of France were producing the most accurate and up to date charts anywhere. Mortier's cartographic work culminated in the magnificent nautical atlas, Le Neptune Francois. H was awarded the Privilege, an early form of copyright, in 1690. Upon Pierre's death in 1711 this business was inherited by his widow. In 1721, his son Cornelius Mortier took over the day to day operation of the firm. Cornelius partnered with his brother-in-law Jean Covens to form one of history's great cartographic partnerships - Covens and Mortier - which continued to publish maps and atlases until about 1866.
Koeman III:Mor1; 54. ; van Egmond, Covens & Mortier, p.406-407, #31.2. 652 by 587mm (25¾ by 23 inches).   ref: 3075  €300