World map – Pieter Schenk, 1700

WORLD MAP WITH RICH ALLEGORICAL AND COSMOGRAPHICAL DECORATION

“Haemisphaeriorum Tabula Carthesiana.” [literally: a ‘Cartesian’ map of the hemispheres; i.e. a rational, geometrically constructed projection based on the principles associated with René Descartes]. Copper engraving by Abraham Deur, published by Pieter Schenk (I), circa 1700. With original hand-colouring. Size (plate mark): 48 × 58 cm.

This impressive world map brings together cartographic knowledge, mythological imagery, and cosmographical concepts into a visually and intellectually rich composition. It is not merely a representation of the world, but a synthesis of the contemporary worldview, in which geography, natural philosophy, and astronomy are closely intertwined.

Surrounding the map are elaborate allegorical representations of the Four Elements – Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. Earth appears as a pastoral scene centred on a female personification, crowned with a mural crown in the type of the Italia turrita, and surrounded by symbols of agriculture and abundance. Animals from different parts of the world, including a lion, elephant, and camel, emphasize the Earth as the bearer of all living creation. Water is represented by a seated marine figure wearing a ship-shaped crown and holding a rudder, flanked by putti at a flowing spring and by a sea populated with ships and fantastical sea creatures, evoking both the life-giving and the untamed aspects of the element.

Air is depicted in a dynamic mythological scene centred on the chariot of Apollo. The god, identifiable by his lyre, laurel wreath, and radiant halo, appears in dialogue with a female personification of the air, while Phaëthon seizes the reins of the four-horse chariot – an allusion to the classical myth in which cosmic order is disrupted. Fire, finally, is rendered as a complex composition in which a multi-breasted female figure, derived from the iconography of the Artemis of Ephesus, is combined with learned figures handling a spherical instrument, while in the background Atlas bears the celestial sphere. The scene suggests fire not only as a destructive force, but also as a vital, cosmic principle.

The geographical image itself reflects both the knowledge and the persistent misconceptions of the late seventeenth century. North America is still shown with the characteristic island of California, separated from the mainland by a wide strait, in the tradition of the French cartography of Nicolas Sanson and his followers. The Mississippi River system broadly follows the understanding derived from French exploration, with references to the expeditions of La Salle. In South America, the mythical Laguna de Xarayes appears at the headwaters of the Paraguay River, a long-standing cartographic error resulting from the interpretation of the vast Pantanal wetlands as an inland sea.

Asia likewise retains speculative elements: north of Japan, the island of Eso (Hokkaido) is shown at exaggerated scale, while to its east appears the fictitious Compagnies Land, separated by the Vries Strait. The depiction of Siberia reflects the influential map of Nicolaes Witsen of 1687. In the southern hemisphere, Nova Hollandia (Australia) is only partially delineated, while New Zealand appears in fragmentary form, in accordance with the Dutch voyages of Abel Tasman.

Between the hemispheres are two smaller polar projections, depicting the Arctic and Antarctic regions. These areas remained among the least understood parts of the globe at the time; while the Arctic is tentatively outlined, the Antarctic is left largely blank. In the upper corners are two celestial diagrams derived from Andreas Cellarius’ Harmonia Macrocosmica (1660), a work that Schenk, together with Gerard Valk, would republish in 1708. One shows the Tychonic system, in which the Earth remains central while the planets move in a complex arrangement around it and the Sun. The other depicts the Earth within an armillary sphere, illustrating the apparent motion of the heavens around a stationary Earth. These cosmographical elements place the map within a broader vision of the universe and underscore the close relationship between cartography and astronomy.

Pieter Schenk (1660–1711), German-born but active in Amsterdam, was, together with his brother-in-law and business partner Gerard Valk, among the leading map and globe publishers around 1700. After establishing themselves in Amsterdam, they built a flourishing enterprise, acquiring the copper plates of Johannes Janssonius and Hondius in 1694. From 1701 onwards, they produced globes from the former premises of Hondius, securing a dominant position in Dutch globe production for several decades.

The map was engraved for separate sale, but was also included in composite atlases issued by Schenk. It is considerably rarer than his other world maps.

Price: Euro 4.950,-