Mauritanie, from "Jeu de la Géographie" 1644

"Mauritanie, from 'Jeu de la Géographie'" (1644) by Stefano della Bella (1610-1664) is a black and white etching depicting a personified Mauritania in the form of a female figure holding sheaves of wheat and a cornucopia. This allegorical print is part of a series illustrating various countries and regions of the world with female figures representing their qualities and characteristics. The inscription below the image describes the region as "pleasant and fertile" located between Mount Atlas and the Atlantic Ocean, containing the kingdoms of Morocco and Fez. The series exemplifies a popular genre of printmaking in the 17th century that blended artistic aesthetics with cartographic and historical knowledge, making them a valuable source of information about the world for viewers during that time.