# Rigobert Bonne artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/rigobert-bonne/
Profile generated: 2026-05-11T19:52:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: French
- Movements: 18th-century French cartography and Enlightenment geography
- Common media: engraving, etching, copperplate printing

## About Rigobert Bonne

Rigobert Bonne (1727–1794) was a French cartographer, engraver, and etcher recognized as one of the most significant mapmakers of the late 18th century. Active during the height of the French Enlightenment, Bonne produced maps and charts that reflected the era's expanding geographic knowledge, including detailed coverage of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. He served as Royal Hydrographer to France, a role that placed him at the center of official marine cartography. His work appeared in influential atlases and contributed to the Encyclopédie edited by Denis Diderot and Jean-Baptiste d'Alembert. Bonne is also known for developing the Bonne map projection, a modified conic projection that remained in use for decades. Collectors encounter his engraved maps frequently at auction, where they are valued as representative examples of Enlightenment-era French cartography.

## Common works and media

Bonne's output consists primarily of copperplate-engraved maps, including world maps, continental maps, regional charts, nautical maps, and city plans. Many were published as folding plates in atlases or as contributions to the Encyclopédie. Collectors may also encounter bound atlas volumes containing multiple Bonne maps. Common subjects include the coastlines and interiors of the Americas, European kingdoms, African territories, and Asian regions, often rendered with decorative cartouches and hand-applied color. Individual sheet maps typically measure in the quarto or folio range.

## Market and appraisal context

Rigobert Bonne's maps appear regularly in the antiquarian map and atlas market. Most individual engraved sheets sell in a modest range, reflecting the relatively large print runs of his atlases. Value is influenced by the region depicted, the quality of the copperplate impression, the presence and condition of contemporary hand-coloring, and whether the map is from a rare or early edition. Maps showing the Americas, the Pacific, and other regions explored in the late 18th century tend to attract stronger interest. Condition factors such as foxing, centerfold wear, and marginal repairs directly affect appraisal outcomes. Provenance linking a map to a notable collection can also increase its value.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine published artist identity research with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. This page draws on authority files from Getty ULAN, VIAF, Wikidata, and the Library of Congress to establish biographical facts, supplemented by encyclopedic context for cartographic significance.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q721492
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigobert_Bonne
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500129572
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/39418086/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80069052