MapCarte 4/365: Europe by Al Lorenz, 1985

MapCarte4_Lorenz

Al Lorenz’s maps and illustrations are always fun as he blows scale out of the mapping equation. His many works tend to tilt the map object and then add a curved horizon to create a curved perspective. The foreground is almost planimetric but the background disappears over a false horizon. The map is blocky as if emerging from the water with vertical cliffs and the detail is incredibly intricate as key buildings are dropped onto the landscape. The architectural detail is impressive and provides a great example not only of the panoramic and illustrative map form but also of the principle that detail often provides the interest in a map. You’ll struggle to find many of his works online but some can be viewed through his web site.