An Accurate Delineation of the Famous French Region Ludovicianae Louisiane
Matthäus Seutter (German, 1678–1757)
An Accurate Delineation of the Famous French Region Ludovicianae Louisiane
Augsburg: [1734?]
Hand-colored engraving
Appearing approximately 15 years after the financial crash, this map of colonial North America, produced by the German Imperial Geographer Matthäus Seutter, reflects the still vivid associations of Louisiana with pipe dreams of wealth. The elaborate cartouche features protagonists familiar from caricatures of 1720. Embodying the unpredictable winds of chance, the goddess Fortuna smiles upon those at left and forsakes those at right. In the foreground, mischievous cherubs prepare stock shares for the paper trade. At far left, fortune seekers variously ascend a tree and topple from it, enacting the rise and fall of a bubble economy.
The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries.
