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This large-format engraved map of Italy, engraved by John Senex and drawn by Charles Price, represents an early 18th-century attempt to correct geographic distortions found in earlier maps by notable cartographers such as Sanson, Jaillot, and Mortier. The map explicitly criticizes these predecessors for having exaggerated Italy’s length by about 130 miles in latitude and 240 miles in longitudinal extent.
The cartouche, situated in the upper right, is an elaborate allegorical composition featuring classical figures, emphasizing Italy’s cultural and historical importance. The map covers the Italian Peninsula in extensive detail, outlining the various political divisions of the period, including the Kingdom of Naples, the Papal States, and the Republic of Venice, as well as Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily.
A noteworthy feature is the fine line across the Ionian Sea, annotated to indicate where the cartographer’s work diverges from previous maps. This is an interesting look back into map marketing in the early 18th century and the then-ongoing refinement in geographic knowledge.
Senex, an important English cartographer and publisher, was known for producing some of the most accurate maps of his time. His emphasis on empirical correction and geographic precision aligns with the growing scientific rigor of the early Enlightenment.
John Senex (1678-1740) was one of the foremost mapmakers in England in the early eighteenth century. He was also a surveyor, globemaker, and geographer. As a young man, he was apprenticed to Robert Clavell, a bookseller. He worked with several mapmakers over the course of his career, including Jeremiah Seller and Charles Price. In 1728, Senex was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society, a rarity for mapmakers. The Fellowship reflects his career-long association as engraver to the Society and publisher of maps by Edmund Halley, among other luminaries. He is best known for his English Atlas (1714), which remained in print until the 1760s. After his death in 1740 his widow, Mary, carried on the business until 1755. Thereafter, his stock was acquired by William Herbert and Robert Sayer (maps) and James Ferguson (globes).
Charles Price (1679?-1733) was an engraver, instrument maker, and mapseller.
Price had been apprenticed to John Seller, famous mapmaker and father to Charles’ business partner, Jeremiah. In fact, Jeremiah and Charles were made free of the Merchant Taylors Guild on the same day, September 1, 1703. The two were already working together by then.
After breaking off with Seller, Price worked with John Senex (1705-10) and George Wildey (1710-13). He was still working in the 1720s, but was in Fleet Prison in 1731 for debt and died two years later.
