De Zee Custen van Vrancryck tußchen Swartenes, en C. de la Hague / Als meede de Custen van Engelandt tußchen Doveren, en Poortlandt.

Title

De Zee Custen van Vrancryck tußchen Swartenes, en C. de la Hague / Als meede de Custen van Engelandt tußchen Doveren, en Poortlandt.

Description

Chart showing the English Channel with the coasts of France between Le Havre and Boulogne-sur-Mer, as well as the coasts of England between Dover and the Isle of Portland. At the top left is a partial map of an estuary of the English Channel in France, a title cartouche, a mile indicator cartouche, two wind roses and two sailing ships. The map is oriented towards the south.

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Artist

Donckert (1626-1699)

Hendrick Doncker (1626–1699, Amsterdam) was a Dutch cartographer, publisher, book printer, and copperplate printer based in Amsterdam. He was a publisher of sea charts, nautical atlases, and other cartographic works, and was also active as a printer and bookseller. Doncker operated a cartographic and book business in Amsterdam on the Nieuwe Brugsteeg for more than fifty years. He was known for designing his own original maps and sea charts, rather than merely copying older maps as many other cartographers did. His most important work was the “Zee-Atlas” (Sea Atlas), also known as “Water-Werelt,” an extensive collection of sea charts first published in 1659 and printed and revised in numerous editions over several decades. He also collaborated with other cartographers such as Pieter Goos and Theunis (Anthonie) Jacobsz Lootsman, for example on the pilot guide “De Zeespiegel.” Doncker’s sea charts covered large parts of the world known at the time, including detailed maps of the North Atlantic region, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, North Africa, and other important maritime areas.

Historical Description

The English Channel (French: La Manche) was, around 1680, an important maritime trade and military zone between England and mainland Europe, particularly France. At that time, England was ruled by King Charles II of the House of Stuart, while France was under the reign of Louis XIV, the "Sun King." Relations between England and France were tense and changeable – at times allied, at other times hostile. The Channel was a strategic border and often a scene of espionage, piracy, and naval conflicts. It was heavily trafficked: trade routes ran from the Netherlands, France, and Spain to England. Numerous pirates and privateers were active, and navigation was difficult and risky due to storms and poor nautical charts. Around 1680, the English Channel was a politically and economically highly sensitive area. It not only separated two major powers but also connected them through trade, diplomacy – and conflict.