The glorious Age of Discovery, which included The Renaissance, and Enlightenment, was a period in which science, exploration and globalisation took great strides becoming powerful influences across the world. Many unknown lands were discovered by Europeans. The Age of Discovery and European exploration allowed accurate maps of the world to be made, resulting in a new world-view and distant civilizations coming into contact. As science took root in education, subject matter in art moved away from being predominantly religious in nature.
Antique prints made in this era are often elaborately detailed and skillfully made by high quality artists and engravers. They are also usually very high quality and were made in small numbers by later standards. They were often shaped by religion, mythology, discovery and science.