Title: Bolsward & Sneek, Westergo (Friesland) – von Reilly antique map, 1791
Description: Crisp late-18th-century map of the Westergo region in Friesland focusing on the “drey mittlere Grietenyen” (three central districts) with the towns of Bolsward and Sneek. Published in Vienna in 1791 for Franz Johann Josef von Reilly’s atlas “Schauplatz der fünf Theile der Welt,” the sheet shows a dense web of dikes, waterways, roads and villages across Southwest Friesland. The city plans of Sneek and Bolsward are set among surrounding polders and lakes; neighboring districts and borders are traced in contemporary outline color. A neat title cartouche at upper left and dual distance scales (Deutsche Meilen and Holländische Meilen) complete the composition.
Von Reilly (1766–1820) was a Vienna-based dealer, publisher and geographer whose compact atlases are prized for clear, up-to-date regional mapping. The engraving here is by Ignaz Alberti (Albrecht, 1760–1794), whose fine line and lettering give excellent legibility. With its wide margins, clear plate impression and original hand color, this is a particularly attractive example for collectors of Friesland and the northern Netherlands or of Austrian Enlightenment cartography. Its modest format also makes it ideal for pairing with other provincial sheets from the same series.
Condition report: Good, with original contemporary outline hand-color. Light, even age toning; a few tiny spots and minor handling to wide margins; blank verso. Strong visible plate mark; no folds, tears or repairs observed.
Framing tips: Use an ivory or soft-cream mount to brighten the sheet, with a thin red inner line echoing the outline color. A dark wood or ebonized frame gives classic contrast; for a lighter look choose warm oak or maple.
Technique: Copper engraving with contemporary outline hand-colour Maker: Franz J. J. von Reilly (engr. Ignaz Alberti), Vienna, 1791
Bartele Gallery. Original antique maps, sea charts, engravings and works on paper. This is a plain text rendering of a page that is otherwise built in the browser. The catalogue index is at https://www.bartele.net/catalogue and machine readable notes are at https://www.bartele.net/llms.txt.