Description
‘Carta Marina’ (Map of the Sea)
The Carta Marina drawn by Swedish geographer and historian Olaus Magnus (1490-1557) is a remarkable and historically significant cartographic masterpiece. It’s one of the earliest accurate cartographic depictions of the Scandinavian peninsula and includes Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. Drafted in Rome in 1539, it contains detail that is lacking in many other early maps of the region, notably the wonderfully fanciful sea creatures! Originally intended for his Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus (A description of the Nordic peoples), the map was published 15 years before the appearance of this map.
One of Olaus Magnus’s notable contributions to cartography was his early advocacy of the concept of a Northeast Passage, a route through the Arctic Ocean that could facilitate trade and exploration. This idea was groundbreaking and played a crucial role in shaping later exploration of the northern seas. This is a reproduction of the second edition of this map, published by Antoine Lafréry in 1572, ensuring that Olaus Magnus’s pioneering cartographic work continued to be accessible to scholars and explorers of subsequent generations. Content in Latin.
Reproduction Size: 36″x 24″ (91.5cm x 61cm)
