RARE HAND-COLOURED PLAN OF THE FORTIFIED TOWN OF DIEPPE – PIERRE LEMAU DE LA JAISSE – CIRCA 1736
Rare original copperplate engraving, executed in the intaglio technique.
The composition is arranged around a central medallion containing a fortified plan of Dieppe, rendered in cartographical form with its bastions, defensive works and opening onto the sea, marked “Océan.”
Above, a large ribbon cartouche inscribed “NORMANDIE” is surmounted by a crowned shield bearing the three fleurs-de-lis of the French monarchy. Framed by palm branches and ceremonial ornaments, it affirms the province’s allegiance to the Kingdom of France.
In the lower section, a second medallion displays the arms of the town, surrounded by military trophies composed of cannons, drums, standards and pikes, symbolising the strategic and defensive importance of Dieppe.
The entire composition is enclosed within an elaborate ornamental border against a black ground, richly decorated with scrolling foliage, floral motifs and grotesque figures positioned at the corners.
The engraving was produced for the work of Pierre Lemau de La Jaisse (1677–1745), a French military writer and cartographer renowned for his representations of fortified towns, military strongholds and strategically important maritime cities of the Kingdom of France.
Hand-coloured in watercolour, enhancing the precision and delicacy of the engraved lines.
Pierre Lemau de La Jaisse (1677–1745) specialised in the documentation of fortified towns, military strongholds and strategically important cities of the French kingdom. His work was produced during a period when the fortification and defence of the country’s territories remained a major military and political concern under Louis XIV and Louis XV.
His publications combined technical precision with a highly refined decorative quality. Conceived as military, geographical and administrative reference works, they provided detailed information about the principal fortified places of the kingdom.
Lemau de La Jaisse’s work is particularly important for its depictions of fortified towns and strategic maritime strongholds, recording in detail:
Bastions, ramparts and fortifications based upon the defensive principles developed during the age of Vauban;
Military infrastructure, including arsenals, barracks, powder magazines and coastal batteries;
Access routes and communications, including roads, bridges, harbours and navigation channels.
These engravings were not merely technical documents. They were also enriched with numerous decorative elements that enhanced their artistic appeal: elaborate title cartouches, provincial and municipal coats of arms, flags, cannons, cannonballs, drums and military trophies symbolising the strategic and defensive power of the places represented.
Today, the works associated with Lemau de La Jaisse constitute important historical records of 18th-century town planning and military fortification. They remain highly sought-after collectors’ pieces, appreciated both for their geographical precision and for their meticulous decorative quality.
Dimensions : Height ?? in. – Width ?? in. / Frame moulding: ?? in.,
(Height ?? cm – Width ?? cm / Frame moulding: ?? cm),
Condition : PERFECT CONDITION,
Period : 18TH CENTURY – LOUIS XV PERIOD – Circa 1736,
Framing : CONTEMPORARY – Comprising a bevelled gilt inner border and a wide white raw-silk mount. The whole is presented beneath glass in a wooden frame finished with patinated water gilding.
Engravings associated with Lemau de La Jaisse are both valuable historical documents and genuine works of decorative art. They illustrate the strategic importance of fortified towns during the 18th century while demonstrating the skill of the period’s military cartographers and engravers, who combined topographical accuracy, meticulous detail and refined ornamentation.
Crédit Agricole
ou LYDIA 