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Rigobert Bonne was a significant cartographer in the 18th century. He served as official Hydrographer to the French Depôt de la Marine starting in 1773, mostly producing marine charts with a focus on coastal regions. The scientific trend in maps, which occurred gradually from the 16th to 18th centuries and was spearheaded by French cartographers, can be seen in Bonne’s works. The scientific trend manifested in the following ways:

1. Cartouches, compass roses, and sea monsters were used less.
2. Panoramic vistas were replaced by vertical bird’s-eye views.
3. Topographical features were displayed with shading, hachuring, and eventually contour lines.
4. Maps were increasingly oriented towards the north rather than the east.
5. Signs, letters, and numbers were used to label sites and landscape details.

Note the numerical scales at the bottom of this map. The icons detailed in the upper left indicate royal cities, Levitical cities, and “refuges.” The map was engraved on copperplate and the outlines were later hand-colored.

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