Ancient map of the United Stated Louisiana french region in 1687 by Johan Baptist Homann

Amplissimae Regionis Mississipi seu Provinciae Ludovicianae â R.P. Ludovico Hennepin Francisc. Miss. in America Septentrionali Anno 1687… Nova Tabula (c. 1718) is Johann Baptist Homann’s influential engraved map of the vast French territory of Louisiana. Drawing on the reports of Father Louis Hennepin, it charts the Mississippi River basin, major tributaries, Indigenous nations, forts, and colonial routes. A grand baroque cartouche, native figures, and frontier scenes frame the geography, blending documentary intent with dramatic ornamentation. The map helped define European conceptions of the interior of North America during a period of intense imperial competition.

Johann Baptist Homann (1664–1724), founder of the Homann publishing house, was one of the leading German cartographers of the early eighteenth century. His atlases combined precise geographic intelligence with striking artistic detail, making them highly influential across Europe. Homann’s style—characterized by bold engraving, rich decorative elements, and clear spatial organization—shaped the visual language of Enlightenment cartography. His legacy continued through the Homann Heirs, whose maps remained standard references long after his death.