Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703 – 1772) is one of the most renowned French geographers and cartographers of the eighteenth century, as well as a member of the highly influential French Enlightenment organization, the Philosophes. At the age of 18, Bellin was appointed chief cartographer of the French Royal Navy.
Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703 – 1772) is one of the most renowned French geographers and cartographers of the eighteenth century, as well as a member of the highly influential French Enlightenment organization, the Philosophes. At the age of 18, Bellin was appointed chief cartographer of the French Royal Navy. He then became the first Ingenieur de la Marine of the Dépôt des Cartes et Plans de la Marine (the French Hydrographical Office) and was named Official Hydrographer of the French King. In these positions, Bellin was responsible for creating accurate coastal charts for the French navy.
During Bellin’s tenure, the Dépôt published a remarkable number of charts and maps, among which was an updated and improved large folio format sea-chart of France, the Neptune Francois. He also produced a number of sea-atlases of the world, including the Atlas Maritime and the Hydrographie Francaise. These gained fame, distinction and respect throughout Europe and were republished throughout the 18th and even in the 19th century. Bellin also created hundreds of smaller maps including the five-volume Petite Atlas Maritime of 1764.
In addition to his cartographic work, Bellin was one of the Encyclopedistes, a group of 18th century French intellectuals who compiled the 35-volume Encyclopedie, which was edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert. In all, Bellin contributed almost 1000 articles.
