1720 John Senex Map of Greece with a View of Constantinople

Vitriolic Presentation of Greece Occupied by the Ottoman Empire.

This elegant English map of Greece, produced by John Senex in 1721, presented a British audience with a view of Greece specifically as a possession of the Ottoman Empire. Its beautifully engraved cartouche and its bird's-eye view of Constantinople emphasized the idea that the land presented in the map was one forcibly occupied by the Muslim world in the person of the Ottoman Turks.

A Closer Look

This large, attractively engraved work presents Greece and the Greek Archipelago from the Gulf of Venice to the island of Rhodes; the map reaches as far north as the Black Sea and as far south as Crete. Cities are marked according to magnitude; castles, monasteries, and ruined towns are also marked. Cities under Ottoman control are prominently marked with the Muslim Crescent; a few cities on the map - 'Places taken from ye Turks' - are marked instead with a cross. These features are explained in a legend at bottom center, interestingly printed in both English and Italian. At the northern coast of the Gulf of Venice - near the recaptured cities of New and Old Ragusa - is the Lion of St. Mark, the symbol of Venice: the Ottoman Empire's primary Christian foe. The mouth of the Gulf of Venice is also named both in English and Italian, suggesting that Senex was relying either on Venetian sources or had plans to market the map to a Venetian audience.

In the lower left is a detailed west-oriented bird's-eye view of Constantinople. The city is presented with its fortifications and many crescent-topped minarets prominently displayed. Various features of the city are named, with a curious profusion of seraglios, likely a prim criticism by the Protestant Senex. Also named is the so-called Maiden's Tower situated on an island in the Bosporus; the focus of many legends, the tower evoked imprisoned princesses and superstitious emperors, emphasizing the alien and exotic nature of the city presented. The waters around the city are patrolled by Ottoman rowing galleys.

The cartouche is an unsubtle work of anti-Ottoman propaganda. The classically framed medallion is topped with cornucopiae, signaling the fruitfulness of the region mapped; in the background are classical colonnades, referencing Greece's illustrious past. But the whole composition is topped with the ubiquitous crescent; a man and woman sit in chains at the base of the cartouche. a trumpet-bearing putto, symbolizing fame, weeps amidst broken statuary. To the left, leering down at the woman under his boot, is a turbaned figure representing the Ottoman Empire, brandishing a scimitar and displaying the yoke, symbolizing Greece's forcible servitude to the Empire.

Publication History and Census

The map was produced in 1720 for inclusion in Senex's New General Atlas. The book is well represented in institutional collections. The separate map is scarce, with only five examples cataloged in OCLC.

Cartographers

John Senex (1678 - 1740) was an English engraver and map maker active in London during the first half of the 18th century. Senex was born to upper middle class parents in Shropshire, England. As a young man, he was apprenticed to Robert Clavell, a London bookseller and member of the Stationers' Company, under whom he mastered the arts of engraving and printmaking. Around 1702 Senex completed his apprenticeship and established himself as a printer and bookseller in the Strand. A year later Senex partnered with Jeremiah Seller and Charles Price, the successors to the important mapmaker John Seller, and relocated to Cornhill. This was likely Senex's first introduction to mapmaking though he seems to have taken to it with abandon. In the subsequent years Senex established himself as one of the most prominent cartographers in London, publishing a number of beautiful and important maps that today rank among the finest examples from the Golden Age of British Cartography. In addition to a large corpus of flat maps, Senex also produced a number of important and highly desirable globes. Eventually Senex dissolved his partnership with Seller and Price and relocated to Fleet Street, where he maintained offices until his death in 1740. Senex was succeeded by his widow, Mary Senex, who continued to publish and update his works until about 1755, when the remaining globe and map plates were sold to James Ferguson.   Further Details...

John Harris (fl. 1686 – 1730) was a British cartographer, engraver and draughtsman active in London during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Harris is believed to have been born in Northamponshire but little else is certain regarding his personal life as 'John Harris' was an exceedingly common name be 17th century London. Nonetheless, his known work includes engravings for Philip Lea, Robert Morden, Herman Moll, and others.   Further Details...

Source

Senex, J., A New General Atlas, (London: Browne) 1721.    

Condition

Very good. Few marginal mends; some staining from old tape repair at bottom centerfold, since stabilized; else a beautiful example in original color.

References

OCLC 12129215. Zacharakis, C. G., A Catalogue of Printed Maps of Greece 1477-1800 #3330.