Of the 57 known manuscripts of Ptolemy's "Geography" that contain maps, the Madrid copy is the only version to host sea monsters. Mr. Van Duzer believes a commission for the map may have included ...

Summary The sea monsters on medieval and Renaissance maps, whether swimming vigorously, gambolling amid the waves, attacking ships, or simply displaying themselves for our appreciation, are one of the ...

His recent books include The World for a King: Pierre Desceliers’ Map of 1550 (2015) and Apocalyptic Cartography: Thematic Maps and the End of the World in a Fifteenth-Century Manuscript (2016).