1675-1726
Guillaume de L'Isle's father had studied geography with Nicholas Sanson,
and Guillaume himself studied under Jean Dominique Cassini. Cassini's
severe scientific discipline instilled in de L'isle a distrust of 'authorities' and
a passion for astronomical and mathematical testing of all theory. This new
approach to map making is now known as 'theoretical' cartography. He was
successful by the time he was 26-in 1702- in winning a place in the
Academie. Between 1700 and his death in 1726, Guillauem published
approximately 60 maps. After his death, de L'isle's son in law Phillipe
Buache took over the works until the 1770's. Despite publishing the
precise, accurate maps of his late father-in-law, Phillipe Buache was also
responsible for some of the most bizarre and fanciful cartographic outlines
ever published.
