Hand Colored Antique Map of the Department of Vaucluse, France

Antique map titled 'Dépt de Vaucluse'. Map of the French department of Vaucluse, France. Vaucluse is the center of wine production in the southern Rhone. Some of the smartest wines in France can be found here. There is also a very strong movement towards the adoption of organic and biodynamic viticulture and natural wine making. The area includes the Cotes du Rhone, Luberon, and Gigondas wine appellations, just to name a few. The map proper is surrounded by elaborate decorative engravings designed to illustrate both the natural beauty and trade richness of the land. There is a short textual history of the regions depicted on both the left and right sides of the map. This map originates from 'Atlas National de la France Illustree' published by V. Levasseur, circa 1852. Victor Levasseur (1800?1870) was a French cartographer widely known for his distinctive decorative style. He produced numerous maps more admired for the artistic content of the scenes and data surrounding the map than for the detail of the map. Victor Levasseur's "Atlas National Illustré" and "Atlas Universel Illustré" are among the last great decorative atlases published.…