presents

TURGOT’s

Plan de Paris

Spalding Nix Fine Art is pleased to present special, customized reproductions of Michel-Etienne Turgot’s legendary map of Paris.  Originally commissioned in 1734, Turgot’s map took over five years to complete.  An incredible snapshot of early 18^th century Paris, the original map measures over eight by ten feet. 

Spalding Nix Fine Art is now making available museum quality, made-to-order reproductions of Turgot’s map.  Both the fine art papers & the color pigment inks used in the printing process are acid-free & archival.  Custom tinting is available.

Below is a small sample of map sizes & their prices.  Any custom size is available.

• 30 inches tall by 39 inches wide - $650

• 60 inches tall by 77 inches wide - $1,800
• 90 inches tall by 116 inches wide - $2,250  

Please call Spalding Nix at (404) 841-7777 to discuss how you can include Turgot’s map in your next design project.

Click HERE to see Turgot’s map featured in Southern Accents May-June issue 2006.

In 1734, Michel-Étienne Turgot, chief of the municipality of Paris as provost of merchants, decided to promote the reputation of Paris for Parisian, provincial or foreign elites by implementing a new plan of the city. He asked Louis Bretez, member of the Academy of Painting and Sculpture and professor of perspective, to draw up the plan of Paris and its suburbs.

By contract, he asked a very faithful reproduction with great accuracy. Louis Bretez, was allowed to enter into the mansions, houses and gardens in order to take measures and draw pictures. He worked for two years (1734-1736).

The plan is in approximately 1/400e scale and arge (2.49 m * 3.18 m). In the eighteenth century, the trend was to abandon portraits of cities (inherited from the Renaissance) for a geometric plan, more technical and mathematical. But the plan de Turgot goes against this trend, by choosing the system of perspective cavaliere : two buildings of the same size are represented by two drawings of the same size, whatever the buildings that are close or distant.  It is an isometric perspective.

The plan is oriented toward the southeast. It covers approximately the first eleven arrondissements.

In 1736, Claude Lucas, graver of the Academy of Sciences, created the 21 sheets of the plan. The plan was published in 1739, the prints were bound in volumes offered to the King, the members of the Academy, the Municipality and French foreign representations. The 21 engraved brass of the plan are kept by the Chalcography of the Louvre, where they are yet used now for re-printing with the same techniques that two centuries ago.