Curator's Choice: Mostri Marini et Terrestri... (Monsters of Sea and Land...)
Münster, Sebastian, 1488–1552
Sebastian Münster’s Cosmographia was published in 1544 and became one of the most popular works of the sixteenth century. It is the earliest German-language description of world geography, containing illustrated maps printed with hand-coloured woodcuts. Included is this fantastical marine map depicting a sea populated with bizarre and colourful sea monsters. The image is filled with dramatic details such as a giant serpent capsizing a vessel and an unsuspecting swimmer caught in a huge crustacean claw.