06/30/2026
Welcome! I’m so excited to officially launch:
Art History Club with Samantha Preis
As an artist and archaeologist, I’ve spent years studying how art connects us through cultures and eras. One of my greatest joys is discovering fascinating artifacts and uncovering the stories behind them. Now, I get to share that passion with you.
Every month, I’ll be carefully curating a historical piece of art and sharing it with paid subscribers on Substack and Patreon in the form of high-resolution digital prints in various sizes—ready to download, print, and frame in your home!
With each month’s selection, you’ll also receive my Curator’s Notes, where I’ll explore the artist, historical context, symbolism, fascinating details you might otherwise miss, and/or why the piece has earned its place in my heart.
Whether you’re creating a timeless gallery wall, collecting beautiful art, or simply love learning about art and culture, I hope this little art club brings more beauty and curiosity into your life.
I can’t wait to share these incredible pieces with you and see how you can bring them to life in your own spaces!
Welcome to Art History Club!
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To kick things off, I’ll be sharing this beautiful artwork with both free and paid subscribers as a special welcome gift.
The Carta Marina: When Maps Were Filled with Sea Monsters
Long before satellites and GPS, maps were works of art and imagination as much as they were tools for navigation. One of the most fascinating examples is the Carta Marina, a magnificent map of Northern Europe created by Swedish archbishop Olaus Magnus in 1539.
Stretching across nine large woodcut sheets, the map was groundbreaking for its detailed depiction of Scandinavia. But what most captures modern viewers are the fantastical sea monsters that inhabit its waters. Giant serpents coil around ships, tusked beasts emerge from waves, and enormous whale-like creatures lurk beneath the surface.
Many of these creatures were actually inspired by real marine animals. Magnus relied on sailors’ stories, classical texts, and firsthand observations, blending scientific curiosity with myths and folklore of the Renaissance. To a sixteenth-century audience, these creatures represented the mysterious and often dangerous nature of the unexplored seas.
The Carta Marina remained one of the most influential maps of Northern Europe for decades, shaping how scholars, explorers, and cartographers understood the region. Today, it stands as a fascinating reminder that the boundary between knowledge and legend was once far less defined.
Through the following link, you’ll receive the original artwork along with high-resolution, print-ready versions resized to the following dimensions:
7” x 5”
10” x 8”
12” x 9”
14” x 11”
20” x 16”
24” x 18”
Download: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/fntb1vjn1r72w6wz796s1/ADPRo3Vt572QTgSpjQzUToA?rlkey=i6ki2anqr8ir4jv8cc4un43r8&st=5kov8n57&dl=0
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Give a Tip: paypal.me/samanthapreis
