Scandinavia (1544)

Sebastian Münster's work Cosmographia was one of the most appreciated and successful works of the 16th century. And also the earliest known German-language description of the world. Then part of the Holy Roman Empire - a political hub in Europe. The work was translated into several languages, including Latin and Italian, and was published in 24 editions in just 100 years.

One of the reasons why the work was so appreciated was the fine woodcut maps of the world, from some of the art giants of the time. Here carefully reproduced and enlarged, from the book's relatively small images, to a beautiful board that looks good in a frame.

The map of Scandinavia shows Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark as well as parts of the countries around the Baltic Sea, such as the Baltic states and northern Germany. An attentive eye can, of course, see the sheer inaccuracies and prevarications that Münster has added to the map. But it becomes even clearer when you look at the associated texts. With a world view clearly centered around the Holy Roman Empire and especially German as a kind of original language, Münster explains in his work that although the northern countries are cold, inhospitable and with barren soils, they have been given beautiful names - as if they were the best countries in the world. He then goes so far as to claim that the Latin Scondavia derives from the German Schönland and that Finland got its name from the German Fein. So that it is a beautiful country.

Perhaps because of the work's popularity, it had long held a great authority, right up to 1650.
The work's sometimes fanciful and incorrect descriptions come both from the fact that science had not progressed that far when the work was published. But also because of Sebastian Münster's almost uncritical attitude towards other people's, and his own, fantasies. Which of course makes the work extra entertaining today.

The image can be hand-colored. Image of historical model is shown as an example. Get in touch for price.

The picture is sold without a frame.