Jacques Bertin (27 July 1918 – 3 May 2010[1]) was a French cartographer and theorist, known from his book Sémiologie Graphique (Semiology of Graphics), published in 1967.

This monumental work, based on his experience as a cartographer and geographer, represents the first and widest intent to provide a theoretical foundation to Information Visualization,[2] with his most lasting contribution being his set of visual variables that can be used to construct map symbols and other graphical techniques one of then being the Bertin Projection, an innovative map projection type, or to seriate them (the Bertin Matrix).

In 1967 he became professor of the Sorbonne,[3] and in 1974 he became director of studies and director of the Geographical Laboratory of the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), which is part of the École pratique des hautes études (EPHE, VIe Section).

[4] Later in the 1970s he became head of research at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS).

[5] In 1993 Bertin received the "Mercator-Medaille der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kartographie"[6] and in 1999 the Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal from the International Cartographic Association.