Europe - Genealogical table of the House of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire; H. A. Chatelain - Nouvelle carte genealogique de la maison de Saxe, ou l’on fait remarquer fort distinctement, ses - 1701-1720

Technical sheet

Title: Nouvelle carte genealogique de la maison de Saxe, ou l'on fait remarquer fort distinctement, ses diferentes branches, ses armes, ses titres, ses pretentions, et ses alliances.
Author: Henri Abraham Châtelain (1684–1743).
Illustrator: not indicated.
Publisher: Châtelain.
Place: Amsterdam.
Period: circa 1707–1714.
Technique: copper-engraved intaglio on file with non-contemporary hand coloring.
Support: watermarked paper.
Dimensions: sheet 44.5 × 98 cm; engraved part 38 × 88 cm.
Composition: large horizontal plate, composed of two sheets joined at the center, with editorial folds for insertion into a volume; texts in French, genealogical trees, coats of arms and explanatory frames.
Origin: Atlas historique, published in Amsterdam by Châtelain. e-rara.ch
Scope: Saxony and the Saxon duchies of the Holy Roman Empire, mainly in the present-day German territories of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Included are, among others, the branches of Electoral Saxony, Weissenfels, Merseburg, Zeitz, Weimar, Eisenach, Gotha, Altenburg, Coburg and Saalfeld.

Description

Large genealogical plate dedicated to the House of Saxony, conceived to illustrate successions, family branches, marital alliances and dynastic rights of its various branches. The composition unfolds through an articulated system of trunks and branches linking numerous panels containing names, titles and biographical notices.
The structure distinguishes the two main Albertine and Ernestine branches, from which electoral and ducal lines develop. The genealogical connections, highlighted by ochre coloring, guide the reading among the watercolor panels in green, yellow and pink. The title runs along the entire upper margin, while at the bottom there are delvings into the origins of the house, the titles, the dynastic claims and the heraldic components of the coats of arms.
Two large polychrome escutcheons, identified as the electoral and ducal arms of Saxony, constitute the main ornamental elements. The shields, quartered, topped by helmets and crests and accompanied by elaborate mantling, give the plate notable heraldic interest as well as historical and genealogical significance.

Historical-artistic note

The plate expresses a conception of the atlas in which geography, political history, chronology and genealogy contribute to the knowledge of the states and ruling families. The tree-like organization makes visible the family relationships and hereditary divisions, offering the reader a tool to understand the fragmentation of the Saxon territories.
The juxtaposition of genealogical schemes, texts and heraldic devices gives the work an encyclopedic character. The precision of the burin allows the dense inscriptions to remain legible, while the hand coloring enhances the structure of the composition and the decorative richness of the arms.

Condition report

Copy in good overall condition, with central junction and vertical editorial folds clearly identifiable. Slight waviness and secondary folds of the support, with modest wear along some creases. Light yellowing, small foxing and scattered dirt traces, mainly in the margins and on the verso. Minor edge irregularities. The engraved drawing and texts are well preserved, with crisp coloring and no evident gaps in the composition. Blank verso, with slight show-through of the recto print.