Cartographer’s Dream

E 4° — THE DREAM

Cartographic Wonders

The map at its most dreamlike — a queen, a lion, the country of love, a world drawn as a heart.

Europa Regina — Europa Regina, Johannes Putsch; popularized by Sebastian Münster, 1537 (later editions)

1537 (later editions)

Europa Regina

Europe as a crowned queen.

west-up
Leo Belgicus — Leo Belgicus, Michael Aitzinger; Claes Janszoon Visscher, 1583 (later editions)

1583 (later editions)

Leo Belgicus

The Low Countries as a rampant lion.

The Carte de Tendre — Carte de Tendre, Madeleine de Scudéry; engraved by François Chauveau, 1654

1654

The Carte de Tendre

A map of the country of love.

The Heart-Shaped World — Recens et integra orbis descriptio, Oronce Finé, 1531

1531

The Heart-Shaped World

The whole Earth, drawn as a heart.

cordiform (heart-shaped)
California as an Island — A map of the California-as-an-island tradition, Nicolas Sanson / Joan Vinckeboons and others, c. 1650

c. 1650

California as an Island

The most beautiful mistake in cartography.