Scandinavia Map 1720 Homann Sweden Denmark Norway Print - Stockholm, Copenhagen, Bergen, Trondheim

This striking Homann map, titled Scandinavia complectens Sueciae, Daniae et Norvegiae Regna, gives an impressive early-eighteenth-century picture of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, with the adjacent regions of Finland, Karelia and northern Russia. It was published in Nuremberg around 1720 and shows the clarity and rich hand-coloring of the Homann firm, with national boundaries traced in bold outline. The northern topography is engraved with care, including mountain ranges, dense forests, fjords and the Arctic coastline, and the sheet extends eastward to include Ingria, Novgorod and the shores of the White Sea. The result is a bold and colorful sheet that gives the whole north in one view, and it has long been a favorite of collectors of Scandinavian maps.

Major cities and ports, among them Stockholm, Copenhagen, Christiania, Bergen, Trondhjem and Abo, are prominently shown, and the lakes, rivers and coastal features underline the commercial importance of the region. Ingria, Livonia and Karelia are still shown as Swedish, which reflects the situation just before the Treaty of Nystad in 1721 ended the Great Northern War. A magnificent allegorical cartouche at the upper left frames the Swedish royal arms with lion supporters, surrounded by personifications of Victory, Fame and Abundance, while a winged figure trumpets royal authority and a seated figure holds a palm branch. The sheet therefore combines geography and allegory.

Anyone who collects ornate German maps, a family with roots in Sweden, Denmark or Norway, or a reader of the age of Charles XII will find a grand gift here. TheMapVault's Pinkerton map of 1809 shows the same lands a century later, whereas this Homann sheet shows them just before the war ended. Like every print in the collection, it ships unframed and is available in a full range of sizes, from a compact desk piece to a large-format statement print. It would suit a study, a hall or a library.