"Cosmographia Oder Beschreibung der gantzen Weltt..." title-page engraving

Sebastian Münster’s Cosmographia was illustrated not only with maps, but also with city plans, portraits of historical figures, pictures of historical events, ethnographic details and pictures of animals and plants. It was the numerous illustrations that made S. Münster’s book so popular. They were created by the famous artists of the period: Hans Holbein the Younger, Hans Rudolph Manuel, David Kandel and others. In S. Münster’s Cosmographia, 4–7 pages of text with illustrations introduce Lithuania and Samogitia. Descriptions and illustrations of neighbouring countries (Prussia, Poland, Hungary, Russia and Livonia) contain Lithuanistic information as well. More than 10 pictures may be attributed to Lithuanistic illustrations, which are different in the early and later issues, e.g. there are 3 different engravings with the descriptions of Vilnius in different issues of Cosmographia. In its 1550 issue and the subsequent ones the description of Poland-Lithuania begins with the invocation to Sigismund Augustus, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album LITUANIA IN ATLANTIBUS (2011). Text author Algimantas Muzikevičius

Sebastian Münster’s Cosmographia was illustrated not only with maps, but also with city plans, portraits of historical figures, pictures of historical events, ethnographic details and pictures of animals and plants. It was the numerous illustrations that made S. Münster’s book so popular. They were created by the famous artists of the period: Hans Holbein the Younger, Hans Rudolph Manuel, David Kandel and others. In S. Münster’s Cosmographia, 4–7 pages of text with illustrations introduce Lithuania and Samogitia. Descriptions and illustrations of neighbouring countries (Prussia, Poland, Hungary, Russia and Livonia) contain Lithuanistic information as well. More than 10 pictures may be attributed to Lithuanistic illustrations, which are different in the early and later issues, e.g. there are 3 different engravings with the descriptions of Vilnius in different issues of Cosmographia. In its 1550 issue and the subsequent ones the description of Poland-Lithuania begins with the invocation to Sigismund Augustus, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album LITUANIA IN ATLANTIBUS (2011). Text author Algimantas Muzikevičius