North Sea and Wadden islands – Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, 1763

SEA CHART OF THE NORTH SEA AND THE WADDEN ISLANDS

“CARTE RÉDUITE DES COSTES DE FLANDRE ET DE HOLLANDE Depuis le Pas de Calais jusqu’à l’Elbe, et les Costes d’Angleterre Opposées” [Reduced chart of the coasts of Flanders and Holland, from the Strait of Calais to the Elbe, and the opposite coasts of England], copper engraving printed from two plates, made by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin in 1763. Coloured by a later hand. Verso blank. Size: 55 × 86 cm.

This large nautical chart of the North Sea and the Wadden Islands was commissioned by Étienne-François, Duke of Choiseul, the French Minister of War and the Navy.

The map must be understood in the context of the aftermath of the Seven Years’ War (1756 – 1763), during which France suffered severe defeats by Great Britain and, under the Treaty of Paris (1763), was forced to cede vast parts of its colonial empire. Britain emerged from the war as the dominant naval power, leading to a sense of humiliation in France and the realization that a comprehensive reform of its army and navy was urgently needed.

Choiseul, one of the most influential statesmen of his time, took the initiative to reinvigorate France’s military apparatus. He began reorganizing the army, strengthening the navy, and gathering strategic intelligence on both enemy and allied coastlines. Within this framework, Bellin, the official hydrographer of the French Navy, was tasked with producing accurate maps to serve military operations at sea. This particular chart was explicitly intended for use by warships and offers a detailed depiction of shipping routes, sandbanks, ports, and tidal inlets along the North Sea coast. Special attention was given to the Dutch Wadden region, including an inset map of the sea passages near Texel and Vlieland, an area considered of strategic importance for any potential assault on England.

Choiseul had already planned a large-scale invasion of Great Britain in 1759, which ultimately failed due to maritime defeats. Even after the Treaty of Paris, he continued to pursue revenge and, throughout the 1760s, sought support from Spain to launch another war against Britain. This chart likely served as a visual tool for strategic planning – both for renewed conflict and a possible landing on England’s eastern shores. The near-total omission of inland territories further underlines the chart’s strictly naval and military purpose.

The map could be bought separately in 1763 for “Un Franc et demi” [a franc and a half].

Price: Euro 750,-