This old and exceedingly rare map shows Europe as it was in the early 1600s. Created by one of Britain's most famed mapmakers, John Speed, the map was originally published in the twin atlases "The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine" and "A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World."
There's an immense level of detail on this map, with many towns and cities shown all across Europe. In a nice twist, this map also shows the mythical island of 'Frisland' near Iceland which appeared on a few maps of this era.
This map looks great at all sizes: 12x16 inches (31x41cm), 18x24 inches (45.5x61cm), and 24x36 inches (61x91.5cm), but it looks even better when printed large.
I can create beautiful, large prints of this map up to 100 inches (250cm) wide. Please get in touch if you're looking for larger, customised or different framing options.
The model in the listing images is holding the 24x18 inch (61x45.5cm) version of this map.
This map extends about as far as the east edge of the Black Sea, taking in much of Russia (including Moscow) and all of Turkey. North Africa runs along the bottom edge and part of Greenland is visible at the top.
Around the edge of the map are lovely vignettes of the citizens Europe (including an English woman, a Venetian, etc.) and detailed views of Europe's major cities at the time: London, Paris, Rome, Istanbul, Venice, Prague, Amsterdam and Lisbon.
Take a look at the detailed images and try to spot your hometown! Feel free to message me if you want to confirm if a certain town or village is on this map.
This would make a wonderful birthday, housewarming or Christmas gift for someone from Europe, or perhaps someone interested in the history of the area.
This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.
This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.
For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.