Ducatus Luxemburg distinctis Limitibus..

Title

Ducatus Luxemburg distinctis Limitibus..

Description

Splendid map of Luxembourg, lower left title cartouche with the gods Ceres, Bacchus, Diana and two river gods, above a putti holding the crowned coat of arms of Luxembourg. There is also a mileage scale in the title cartouche. The cartouche is signed ‘Abr. Drentwett del.’ below the river god. At the bottom right is an inset map ‘Ichnographia munitissimae Metropolis Luxemburgi’, showing the city of Luxembourg with its fortifications.

ca. 1740

Artist

Seutter (1678-1757)

Matthias Seutter (1678- 1757) Augsburg was the son of a goldsmith in Augsburg. In 1697, Seutter began his studies in Nuremberg and subsequently worked in the publishing house of Jeremias Wolff in Augsburg. In 1710, he established his own publishing house and print shop. The Seutter publishing house produced a great number of maps, atlases, and globes. However, very few original maps were printed there, as Augsburg at that time had no university and no connection to the fields of mathematics or the natural sciences. Seutter therefore copied the work of other cartographers, making his own engravings based on their models. Over 500 maps were produced in his studio. Seutter's most well-known works are the 1725 "Geographical Atlas or an Accurate Depiction of the Whole World" ("Atlas Geographicus oder Accurate Vorstellung der ganzen Welt") with 46 maps, the 1734 "Large Atlas" ("Grosser Atlas") with 131 maps, and the 1744 pocket atlas "Small Atlas" ("Atlas minor") with 64 maps. Matthäus Seutter died in 1757. Seutter's son Albrecht Karl, his son-in-law Conrad Tobias Lotter, and his business partner Johann Michael Probst ran the printing business for five more years.

Historical Description

Luxembourg has undergone a remarkable development throughout its history. From a small county in the Middle Ages to a strategically important area during the major wars of Europe, and eventually to a modern, prosperous country within the European Union, Luxembourg has established itself as an independent and stable state. The early history of Luxembourg was strongly shaped by Roman and later Frankish rule. During the Roman period, the area was part of the empire, and in the Middle Ages, it belonged to the Frankish kingdoms. In 1354, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV elevated Luxembourg to a duchy, making it an important territorial possession in the Holy Roman Empire. In the 16th century, Luxembourg came under the control of the Habsburgs, who held both the Spanish and Austrian inheritances. Under Spanish rule, Luxembourg was used as a strategic point in the wars between Spain and the Netherlands. In 1795, during the French Revolution, Luxembourg was conquered by the French and incorporated into the French Empire. In 1839, after the Belgian Revolution, Luxembourg was divided between Belgium and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The western part of the country fell to Belgium, while the eastern part remained with the Netherlands. This division shaped Luxembourg's modern geographical boundaries and gave it its current form. Today, Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy and one of the wealthiest countries in the world.