La Gouvernement de Champagne. i.e. Praefectura Generalis Camapniae

Augsburg: T. C. Lotter. Map. Hand colored engraving. 26 1/2" x 21"

This 18th century regional map depicts the Champagne region of France. The wine region within the historical province of Champagne in the northeast of France is best known for the production of champagne, the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name. Elaborate cartouche illustration with cherubs drinking Champagne in a wreath of grapes. Many cities, towns, villages, and political divisions are labeled, including the important cities of Chalons, Reims, Vitry-le-Francois and Sainte Menehould. Vineyards, chateaus, and topography are depicted pictorially. The region is (truncated) hand colored with a blue-green wash, and cities are highlighted with red pigment. An inset depicting the environs of Paris is included in the upper left corner. The map is in very good condition, with minor toning along the centerfold, some bleeding of the red pigment in the lower left quadrant, and a minor abrasion over the city of "Bal-le-Duc", along the right side of the centerfold. Some major cities are underlined or circled in black ink.

Tobias Conrad Lotter was a German mapmaker based in Augsburg. His work dates to the revival of mapmaking in 18th century Germany that was spurred in large part by the work of Matthaus Seutter. Lotter, who married Seutter's daughter, worked on behalf of the Seutter firm as a master engraver and took over half of the printing house upon Seutter's death. His individual work, combined with his republication of Seutter's maps under his own imprint, allowed Lotter to match, if not surpass, his predecessor's reputation as one of the most prominent German cartographers of the period. (Inventory #: 328229)