Title
Sarmatia Evropaea - Sebastian Münster - 1544
Subitle
Landtafel des Ungerlands / Polands / Reussen / Littaw / Walachey und Bulgaen
Description
This woodcut map from Sebastian Münster’s landmark geographical work, Cosmographia, provides a detailed view of Eastern Europe. Titled in German, the print depicts a sprawling landscape encompassing the regions of Hungary, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Wallachia, and Bulgaria. As a double-page folio, the map showcases the topographical detail and artistic style characteristic of 16th-century cartography, providing a significant historical document and a work of art from one of the era’s most influential scholars.
Date
1544 ( undated )
Dimension
Approximately 25 x 37 cm
Condition
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age
Author:
Sebastian Münster (1488 - 1552) was a renowned German scholar, cartographer, and cosmographer. As a professor at the University of Basel, he was one of the most influential German-speaking scholars of his time. His most famous work, the Cosmographia, was first published in 1544 and became one of the most widely circulated books of the 16th century. It provided a comprehensive description of the world through maps, city views, and descriptive text. Münster’s meticulous approach to geography and his use of detailed woodcut illustrations made his work a foundational text for cartography and a crucial source of geographical knowledge for generations.