A precocious child, Guillaume supposedly drew his first map at age 9. Guillaume Delisle was born in Paris on February 28, 1675, to Marie Malaine and Claude Delisle, a geographer and historian who studied under Sanson. According to Carl Moreland and David Bannister, he was recognized as “‘the first scientific cartographer’ and the foremost geographer of his age.” Along with his contemporaries, he ushered in a new era of increased accuracy and integrity in mapping. If Nicolas Sanson is the “father” of French cartography, then Guillaume Delisle (or de l’Isle) could be considered the “son,” the representative of the next generation of French cartographers.
Meanwhile, German publishers produced beautiful maps that continued the decorative legacy of the Golden Age of Dutch cartography without sacrificing the level of detail and information valued in a more scientific era. But as the century progressed and the power and influence of the British Empire expanded, the map publishing business in London boomed. French cartographers embraced the Enlightenment concept of “positive geography” and developed a more scientific approach to cartography. (You can click here to learn more about mapmakers of the 16th century and click here to read about mapmakers of the 17th century.) During the 17th century, the Dutch dominated the field of cartography with their ornate style, but by the early 18th century, the epicenter of European mapmaking had shifted to Paris.
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Our series on notable mapmakers throughout the centuries continues with a look at four of the major cartographers and publishers of the 18th century: Guillaume Delisle, Johann Baptist Homann, Thomas Jefferys, and Herman Moll. The Mapmakers Who Made the 18th Century by Joe McAlhany
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