Bougainville's Claim in the Magellan Straits, circa 1767

€ 160

One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.

Date: 1767
Sheet size: 37.5 × 22.5 cm (14.8 × 8.9 in)
Condition: Fair
Reference: BG-13597-72

Condition

Fair. Overal light toning and soiling with one bigger brown spot touching the image. Aged paper with typically warm, yellowish-brown hue, mostly around the edges. Study the images carefully.

About this sheet

The engraving depicts the French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville hoisting the French colors upon a small rock in the Magellan Straits. This act symbolizes the claiming of territory during his expedition, which took place between 1766 and 1769. Bougainville's voyage was significant as it was the first French circumnavigation of the globe and contributed to the European understanding of the Pacific and its lands.