Pieter Mortier
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bookselling, Publishing, Cartography |
| Founded | 1661 in Leiden, Dutch Republic |
| Founder | Pieter Mortier I |
| Headquarters | Amsterdam , Dutch Republic (now Netherlands) |
Area served | Dutch Republic, Leipzig (for Pieter Mortier II) |
Key people | Pieter Mortier I, Pieter Mortier II, Pieter Mortier III, Amelia 's-Gravensande |
| Products | Maps, atlases, illustrated bibles, books, sheet music |
Pieter Mortier, also known in French as Pierre Mortier, denotes a lineage of three consecutive generations engaged in bookselling and publishing within the Dutch Republic.
Pieter Mortier I (1661–1711)
The initial Pieter Mortier, born in Leiden in 1661 and deceased in Amsterdam in 1711, was the son of a French political exile and established himself as a cartographer and engraver. After a period working in Paris from 1681 to 1685, he commenced his career as a bookseller in Amsterdam, continuing until 1711. In 1690, he obtained exclusive rights to publish French maps and atlases tailored for the Dutch audience, later broadening his portfolio in 1700 by producing an "illustrated print bible" famously termed "Mortier's Bible" (Mortierbijbel). This publication, titled Historie des Ouden en Nieuwen Testaments, verrykt met meer dan vierhonderd printverbeeldingen in koper gesneeden, incorporated texts by French Protestant scholar David Martin alongside engravings crafted by prominent artists such as Bernard Picart, Jan Luyken, and Gerard Hoet. According to Houbraken, etchings for Bybelsche Tafereelen, released in Amsterdam in 1700, were contributed by David van der Plas.
His business operated at various Amsterdam addresses, including Middeldam (1685–1686) and Vijgendam (1686–1711), displaying the sign "Stad van Parijs" until 1700. Additionally, Mortier employed fictitious publishing locations in Antwerp and London. The Short Title Catalogue Netherlands attributes 261 publications to him. In the early eighteenth century, he engaged in competitive pricing strategies against Huguenot publisher Estienne Roger to dominate the market for polyphonic sheet music.
Married to Amelia 's-Gravensande (1666–1719), she assumed control of the enterprise following his passing. Their offspring included Pieter Mortier II and Cornelis Mortier (1699–1783), who together established Covens & Mortier (1721–1866), recognized as the preeminent cartographic publisher of the eighteenth century.
Pieter Mortier II
Active during the early to mid-1700s, Pieter Mortier II functioned as both a bookseller and town printer based in Amsterdam, with documented activity spanning 1730, 1734–1735, 1740–1741, 1745, and 1749. His commercial operations also extended to Leipzig between 1745 and 1753. His Amsterdam premises included Kalverstraat in 1742 and Nieuwendyk near Zoutsteeg, marked by the sign "L'Envie." The Short Title Catalogue Netherlands credits him with issuing 249 titles, among which were French editions of works authored by René Duguay-Trouin, John Locke, Pierre Bayle, along with the concluding volumes of Guillaume de Lamberty's fourteen-volume Memoires pour servir a l'histoire du XVIII siecle.
Pieter Mortier III
Referred to as "Mortier le jeune," Pieter Mortier III conducted his professional activities in Amsterdam from 1754 until 1781. His roles encompassed bookseller (intermittently from 1763 to 1781), town printer (1763–1781), and university printer during select intervals between 1765 and 1779. The Short Title Catalogue Netherlands lists 202 titles published under his name. His business locations shifted within Amsterdam over time: Nieuwendyk near Zoutsteeg (1764–1768), Warmoestraat near St. Annastraat (1769–1777), and Leliegragt near Heeregragt (1779–1781).