Manuscript plan of the Sainte-Cécile forest, 1760 - Lot 140

Manuscript plan of the Sainte-Cécile forest, 1760 Large handwritten topographical map in ink and watercolor on paper, depicting the Sainte-Cécile forest and its surroundings, in the region of Herbeumont, Chassepierre and Cugnon (present-day province of Luxembourg, Belgium). The map is dated September 21, 1760, and was drawn up as part of a survey report for lands belonging to His Serene Highness Charles Alexandre de Lorraine, Prince of Teschen, Governor of the Austrian Netherlands and Lord of these domains. The plan accurately depicts the relief and organization of the land: meanders of the Semois, forest plots, roads, cultivated land and buildings, including the mill, the château and the place d'Herbeumont. The various parts of the forest are identified by letters and referred to in a detailed index in the lower margin. The composition is enriched by a decorative hand-painted cartouche bearing the title of the document, surmounted by an armorial shield, as well as a compass rose and a graphic scale accompanied by a compass motif adorned with the motto "Par tout le compas". The whole is executed with precise drawing and watercolor highlights in shades of green, ochre and red. Administrative and topographical document characteristic of the XVIIIᵉ century, combining cartography, surveying and seigneurial representation of the territory. 63 × 94 cm.