Robert Greene's spectacular and exceptionally rare wall map of the Holy Land
By GREENE, Robert; John MORE; John SPEED; and Francis LAMB , 1683
£300,000
BUY

The Land of Canaan described with the City of Jerusalem.

Asia Israel
  • Author: GREENE, Robert; John MORE; John SPEED; and Francis LAMB
  • Publication place: London,
  • Publisher: Rob. Greene, [and] Printed for the Proprietor Carington Bowles, at his map and print warehouse, No. 69., St. Paul's Churchyard,
  • Publication date: 1683 [and c1780].
  • Physical description: Large engraved wall map, printed on three joined double-page sheets, and seven half- sheets, with contemporary hand-colour in full, some restoration to top margin, affecting the image. Maps 300000
  • Dimensions: 1400 by 1950mm. (55 by 76.75 inches).
  • Inventory reference: 16858

Notes

A magnificent, and exceptionally rare, large-scale wall map of the Holy Land, with a detailed inset of the City of Jerusalem, 'Jerusalem described as it stood in Greatest beauty: the chiefe places and Actions Observed from the first Erections to the last Ruins'. Apparently the only complete example of any issue of this wall map to appear in commerce, and one of only two examples known of this issue.

First issued in 1683, this "Map was Ingraved by Francis Lamb, Ano.
1682" appears lower right, and it is signed and dated by Greene in the dedicatory cartouche "To His... Majesty Charles II... This Map is humbly Dedicated and Presented by your Majesty's true and faithfull subject Robert Green '83". This example is printed from the original plates, unchanged, by John Carington Bowles, c1780, with his ticket in the lower right-hand corner of the inset of Jerusalem. It was subsequently re-issued, with the imprint of "Bowles & Carver... R. Wilkinson... and Laurie & Whittle", in about 1812.

Robert Greene (fl1673-1688), an innovative, and well-connected London mapseller, with a printing press, has paid homage to his inspiration, with a large vignette portrait of John More, above a lengthy explanatory note regarding the history of the map: "This map was made and finished by Mr John More... And after his death was published at the only charge of
... Mr. John Speed. And whereas ye Plates were destroyed in the dreadfull fire 1666: At ye desire of severall learned persons, the whole was revised & corrected by a carefull hand. Reprinted at ye proper cost of Rob: Greene... In this edition there are above 400 Errors purged out and corrected. And the workmanship of it is very much improved". John More was a Fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge, who had written a Biblical chronology and served as minister of St Andrew's Church in Norwich. Following his death, More's map passed to a young scholar named Hugh Broughton who, for some unknown reason, fled England for the continent, and the map found its way to the young John Speed, whose small portrait appears at the lower right-hand corner of the note.

Thus, John Speed's first published map was a wall map of the Holy Land, 'Canaan as it was possessed both in Abraham and Israels dayes w[i]th with the stations and bordering nations Described by Benedict Ariae Montanus. To the reverent and ryght worshipfull maiester W. Cotten, doctor of diuinitye, I.S. wisheth eternall blessedness in Chryste, 1595', now only known in one example, at the National Library of Israel.

Bibliography

  1. OCLC, 767874561.
/