Europa regina
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Europa regina, Latin for Queen Europe, is the map-like depiction of the European continent as a queen. Introduced and made popular during the mannerist period, Europe is shown standing upright with the Iberian Peninsula forming her crowned head, and Bohemia her heart.
Related maps
The art of shaping a map in a human form can also be found in a map drawn by Opicino de Canistris, showing the Mediterranean Sea. This map, published in 1340 and thus predating the Putsch map, showed Europe as a man and Northern Africa as a woman.
While in Europa regina maps actual geography is subordinate to the female shape, the opposite approach is seen in a map drawn by Hendrik Kloekhoff and published by Francois Bohn in 1709. In this map, titled "Europa. Volgens de nieuwste Verdeeling" ("Europe, according to the newest classification"), a female is superimposed on a map showing a fairly accurate geography of Europe, and although the map is oriented westward with Spain forming the head as in the Europa regina imagery, this is resulting in a ducked woman, corresponding with the Europa deplorans rather than the Europa triumphans allegory.
See also
