A 1926 Facsimile of the Frisius Carta Marina Universalis
Laurent Fries’ 1530 Carta Marina is a 12-sheet example of Martin Waldseemüller’s great Carta Marina of 1516, one of the most ambitious and detailed early modern world maps. Fries' adaptation, though only three-quarters the size of Waldseemüller’s original, was an impressive twelve-sheet woodcut map, reflecting the geographical knowledge of the early 16th century.
The map depicts the known world, with particular emphasis on Europe, Africa, and Asia, while the New World is shown with fragmentary coastlines, a testament to the gradual expansion of European cartographic knowledge. Like its predecessor, it is richly illustrated, featuring exotic animals, enthroned rulers, indigenous customs (including scenes of cannibalism), and fantastical sea creatures. The decorative border, adorned with windheads and swirling clouds, evokes the era’s fascination with both geographical exploration and celestial influences.
The only known surviving example of the original 1530 Frisius Carta Marina Universalis is housed in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich, from which Ludwig Rosenthal later produced this faithful reproduction in 1926.
Fries, a physician and geographer, had previously worked on reductions of Waldseemüller’s maps, including a reduced size edition of the famed 1513 Ptolemaic Atlas with modern maps, first published in 1522. His 1530 Carta Marina follows in this tradition, preserving much of the artistic grandeur and intellectual ambition of the original but in a more accessible format.