Invasions of England and Ireland – Tardieu
Price range: £35.55 through £59.95
Invasions of England and Ireland by Antoine-François Tardieu, 1798
Small fleets gather around the shores of England, Wales and Ireland on this unusual historical map. Each numbered group of ships marks a landing or attempted invasion, turning the coastline into a record of conflict stretching back to William the Conqueror. Delicate boundary colouring, French place names and a prominent compass rose give this reproduction both visual appeal and considerable historical interest.
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RECENT REVIEWS
Verified ownerGot there in time and loves it! Cheers David [Gift from US to UK]
Verified ownerThanks Lauren. We received it today - it's gorgeous! Thank you, Ellan
Verified ownerThank you for your prompt service. I have a gallery and framing business in South Wales. I'm so pleased it is printed in the UK
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The print arrived safely and we're delighted with it - a lovely reminder of our honeymoon 15 years ago.
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Verified ownerI just received my map of Ireland by Ewart today and, as usual, I am delighted by its quality. The crispness and fineness of detail is excellent and the colour reproduction surpasses my expectations. Please relay my thanks to Steve for another fine effort!
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Historical Background
Published during the French Revolutionary period, this map records invasions and attempted landings between 1066 and 1797. It accompanied a French historical account in which the numbered ships were explained. Its appearance in 1798 was particularly significant: France and Britain were at war, and the possibility of an invasion across the Channel was a matter of immediate concern.
Map Details
- Original title: Carte des descentes faites en Angleterre et en Irlande depuis Guillaume le Conquérant jusqu’à nos jours
- Engraver: Antoine-François Tardieu, signing P. F. Tardieu
- Publication: Paris, An VI of the French Republic, 1797–1798
- Area shown: England, Wales, Ireland and adjoining coasts
- Notable features: Numbered invasion fleets, coloured boundaries and French geographical labels
The design follows an earlier British tradition of mapping invasions, including work associated with John Speed and a later Laurie & Whittle edition. Here, that historical material was adapted for a French audience and brought up to date with more recent events.
The ships are historical symbols rather than a picture of fleets assembled at one moment. Read in that way, the map shows how centuries of coastal conflict could be gathered into a single image with particular relevance to the anxieties of its own time.