Munster's famous woodblock illustrating sea monsters

MUNSTER, Sebastian.

Les marins monstres & terrestres, lesquelz on trouve en beaucoup de lieux es partes septentrionales.
Basle, Henri Petri, c.1550, French text edition. Coloured woodcut, image size 250 x 350mm.

A near mint example.

A 16th century woodcut depicting monsters of both land sea, with abundant tusks, horns and twin-spouts. One vignette shows a galleon trying to outrun one monster by throwing their cargo overboard.
The creatures are derived from the vary rare 'Carta Marina' by Olaus Magnus, published in 1539, which Ortelius also used for his map of Iceland in 1587. The woodblock cutters have put their intials 'M-F' (unknown) lower left and 'HRMD' (Hans Rudolf Manuel Deutsch) lower rightr.


Stock ID : 23774