Description

Description: We offer an original 16th/17th  century copperplate engraving of Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512). The chest-up profile portrait of Vespucci is encased in an oval frame with the Latin words: “Americus Vesputius Florentinus Terrae Bresilianae Inventor et Subactor.” The four corners around the portrait have images of a bird, a bow and arrows, two ship anchors, and a Native American head, arm, and foot. Beneath the portrait are several lines of text in Latin. The engraving is signed in the plate with the monogram “PCV” just under Vespucci’s portrait and above the line of the frame. The engaving was done by Crispijn van de Passe the Elder between circa 1590 and circa 1637.

During the late 15th and early 16th centuries, Vespucci participated in at least two transatlantic voyages. He published two very popular booklets describing his travels and calling the area he visited, what is now known as Brazil, the “New World”. In honor of Vespucci’s accomplishments, cartographer Martin Waldseemuller in his 1507 map of this “New World,” labelled it with the Latinized version of Vespucci’s name, “America.”

Approximately 5 1/2″ x 4″. Item #PR00563

Condition: Trimmed to the platemark, otherwise very good condition.