[WEST AFRICA] Partie occidentale de l'Afrique, contenant les pays et etats voisins de la co^te, entre le Cap St. Vincent et le Cap Tagrin: avec l'Isle Madere, les Isles Canaries, et celles du Cap Verd. [i.e., Western part of Africa, containing the countries and states near the coast, between Cape St. Vincent and Cape Tagrin: with the island of Madeira, the Canary Islands, and the Cape Verde Islands].

Original copperplate engraved map. 42 x 29 cm. Some foxing, else a very good copy. Issued by the French Dépôt de la Marine, this map of northwestern coast of Africa illustrates the inhabited tribal regions both above and below the Sahara Desert alongside Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and the Spanish Canary Islands. The depicted coastline extends from the Strait of Gibraltar in the north to Cape Tagrin and the Sierra Leone River in the south, with the Cape Verde Islands positioned in the lower left corner. Rigobert Bonne was a prominent French cartographer, regarded as one of the most influential cartographers of the late 18th century. In 1773, he succeeded Jacques Nicolas Bellin as Royal Cartographer to France, working in the office of the Hydrographer at the Depôt de la Marine. In this official role, Bonne produced some of the most precise and detailed maps of the era. His work marked a significant shift in cartographic philosophy, moving away from the ornate, decorative style common in 17th and early 18th-century maps towards a more practical and detail-oriented approach. Bonne's maps, while retaining some stylistic elements of Bellin's work, particularly in the depiction of terrain, were less concerned with decoration. Unlike many maps of the period, Bonne's designs generally forgo features like hand coloring, intricate decorative cartouches, and compass roses, emphasizing clarity and practicality instead. Bonne's maps are particularly known for their detailed portrayal of coastal regions, and his work is highly regarded for both its historical significance and aesthetic appeal.