Bilder Sebastian Münster (1488–1552) – Illustrations of Serpents (Dragons) and a Mythical Beast from the Cosmographia – Woodcut (c. 1550)

Beskrivning

This page features two woodcuts illustrating the fauna of distant lands, often blending factual information with medieval legend. The upper illustration depicts a dense scene of large, coiling serpents and dragons intertwined in a landscape. The lower illustration shows a composite, mythical beast with the powerful body of a horse or lion and an elongated head. These images accompany German text discussing the dangerous and exotic creatures believed to inhabit regions like India, serving as a visual record for the cosmographical text.

Sebastian Münster was a highly influential German cosmographer, geographer, and Hebraist whose primary achievement was the publication of the Cosmographia, one of the first German-language encyclopedias describing the world. The work was immensely popular, providing readers with detailed woodcut illustrations of maps, city views, customs, and natural history, profoundly shaping European understanding of geography in the mid-sixteenth century.

Artist or Maker: Sebastian Münster

Dimensions: Approximately 36 cm x 23 cm

Medium: Woodcut

Date: c. 1550

Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.