Turn the map on its side and a continent becomes a queen. In this famous conceit, first devised in 1537, Europe is drawn as a crowned woman: Spain her head, Italy and Denmark her arms — one holding Sicily as a royal orb — Bohemia her heart, the whole robed body reaching east. It cast Europe as a single sovereign lady at the very moment the continent was tearing itself apart over faith. Cartography as portrait, propaganda, and poetry all at once.

Maker: Johannes Putsch; popularized by Sebastian Münster
Date: 1537
Medium of the original: Plate
Original held by: Cosmographia
Credit: Cosmographia
Rights: Public domain, verified
Catalogue number: PA-00330

As chosen: 16 x 24 in, art print, classic frame
Picture	16 x 24 in
Outside size	17.6 x 25.6 in
Depth	0.9 in (22 mm)
Weight	[[REAL PROOF NEEDED: shipped weight per size and frame]]
Hanging	[[REAL PROOF NEEDED: hanging hardware Prodigi fits to this frame]]
Material	Enhanced matte art paper, 200 gsm; acrylic glazing
Made in	Charlotte, North Carolina, by Prodigi

Before a size goes on sale, the file is measured against it: pixels per inch at that size, how much of the picture a crop would lose, tone and sharpness. A size that fails is not offered, so there is nothing to choose wrong.

How the print check works

Sizes offered
Size	dpi	Grade	How it fits
8 x 12 in	564	Excellent	Trimmed 6.2%
12 x 18 in	376	Excellent	Trimmed 6.2%
16 x 24 in	282	Excellent	Trimmed 6.2%
20 x 30 in	225	Excellent	Trimmed 6.2%
24 x 36 in	188	Good	Trimmed 6.2%

Sizes withheld
Size	Why
8 x 10 in	Wrong shape: a 22% crop
11 x 14 in	Wrong shape: a 20% crop
12 x 16 in	Wrong shape: a 17% crop
16 x 20 in	Wrong shape: a 22% crop
18 x 24 in	Wrong shape: a 17% crop
24 x 30 in	Wrong shape: a 22% crop
30 x 40 in	Wrong shape: a 17% crop
36 x 48 in	Wrong shape: a 17% crop
40 x 60 in	112 dpi; a historical scan is never enlarged