Mapamondi Pl.4 (1375)

This page presents "Mapamondi Pl.4" (1375), created by Abraham Cresques. Background on Illustration: The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are often described as a golden age of book and magazine illustration. Illustration serves a text or a story, a tradition that runs from decorated medieval manuscripts to printed book plates, magazines, and posters. Historical background, 1375: Pigments, gold leaf, and carefully prepared supports were chosen for durability, which is one reason so many surviving images can still be studied closely today. Art made before 1400 spans many cultures at once, from Byzantine icons and Gothic cathedral painting in Europe to Islamic book arts and the Chinese and Japanese traditions of ink and silk painting. It is listed in the Illustration collection. The image is in portrait orientation.

On onlly.art "Mapamondi Pl.4" is sold as a digital download (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI). The files are delivered by email after payment, so nothing is shipped: you print locally, choosing the paper, size, and frame yourself. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Illustrative graphics are valued for their decorative line work and narrative quality, which makes them a strong fit for gallery walls, kids rooms, studies, and more intimate interiors. Before printing, compare the proportions of the file with your frame so that nothing important is cropped. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size.

Spanish, 1325–1387

If you like the visual language of Abraham Cresques, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.