Carte de Tendre

The society games of the salons included the allegorical projection of human relationships and feelings in the form of maps. This Carte de Tendre, which is from 1653/1654, was reprinted in the first part of the novel Clélie by Mademoiselle de Scudéry. It displays different paths to love based on the imaginary country of Tendre. Thus, for example the river of fondness leads straight to Tendre-sur-Inclination and thus shows mutual affection as the shortest path to love.

Madeleine de Scudéry (1607-1701), Clélie, histoire romaine... par Mr de Scudéry,.... Volume 1, Paris 1656–1660; source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, Gallica, département Réserve des livres rares, RES-Y2-1512, public domain.