Portret van Sebastian Münster after 1578

This is a woodcut portrait of Sebastian Münster, made by an anonymous artist in Basel in 1588. Münster was a German cartographer, cosmographer, and Hebrew scholar. He is known for his "Cosmographia," a comprehensive description of the world. The image, adorned with cherubs, presents Münster as a man of learning and authority. The elaborate typography of the title emphasizes the encyclopedic nature of Münster's work, reflecting the Renaissance interest in geography, history, and culture. Basel was a center of printing and humanism, institutions that enabled the production and dissemination of knowledge. Münster's work contributed to the formation of a European identity through the representation and understanding of different lands and peoples. To understand this portrait better, we could examine the history of cartography, printing, and humanism in the 16th century. It is a reminder that the meaning of art is tied to the social and institutional contexts in which it is made and viewed.