Enlightened Mapping? Maps in the Europe of the Enlightenment

ABSTRACT This paper presents an overview of West and Central European mapping between 1650 and 1800. The period was marked by the emergence of distinctive types of mapping, influenced by the spirit of the Enlightenment, particularly its adoption of consciously scientific methods and reliance on direct observation, the acceptance of geography as an academic discipline and a questioning attitude towards previously accepted authority. Such maps were expensive to create and relied on sponsorship by the state and/or academies and, in their published form, on collaboration of both with the map trade. ‘Enlightenment Maps’ are far from being a homogeneous group, however, are of varying quality, and were less prevalent than generally assumed: many traditional types of map continued to be created, published and purchased by an ever-widening public readership.