| Method | Copper engraving |
| Artist | Pieter van der Aa after Theodorus de Bry |
| Published | [Leyden, 1706-1727] |
| Dimensions | Image 130 x 180 mm, Plate 137 x 184 mm, Sheet 366 x 230 mm |
| Notes |
A scene from the expedition of Juan Ponce de León, from Pieter van der Aa's De aanmerkenswaardigste en alomberoemde zee- en landreizen der Portugeezen, Spanjaarden, Engelsen, en allerhande natiën. The scene depicts a massacre of Spanish soldiers and Jesuit priests by native West Indian warriors. The West Indians, armed with clubs and bows and arrows, rush from a small village in a forest towards the coast, driving before them a small group of fleeing Spaniards, who try to make it back to the safety of their ships. A number of Spanish soldiers lie dying on the shoreline, while two captive Jesuits are bludgeoned to death in the foreground. The scene probably depicts the unsuccessful attempt at colonisation led by Ponce de León to southwest Florida in 1521. The expedition met with fierce opposition from the native Calusa people, who succeeded in repelling the Spanish colonists and mortally wounding Ponce de León himself, who was shot with an arrow likely poisoned with manchineel sap. The colonists abandoned their mission and retreated to Havana, where Ponce de Leon succumbed to his injuries. The De aanmerkenswaardigste... was a colossal Dutch account of the various voyages of discovery in the West and East Indies undertaken by all of the European nations, excepting the Dutch. Van der Aa, ever the consummate salesman, astutely attributed the work to Gottfried, whose Chronicle he had published a few years earlier. The majority of the text for the multi-volume work was taken from pre-existing Dutch translations of the accounts of famous voyages, most notably de la Casas' description of the voyages of Columbus. Pieter van der Aa (1659 – 1733) was a Dutch publisher, best known for preparing maps and atlases. Despite producing his own work, van der Aa is also known for his production of pirated editions of illustrated publications and foreign bestsellers. Beginning his career as a Latin trade publisher in Lieden in 1683, van der Aa's ambition was to one day become the most famous printer in the city. In 1715, van der Aa was appointed the head printer for Leiden and its university. Theodor de Bry (1528-1598) was a Flemish-born engraver and editor, who travelled Europe. De Bry fled from Liège in fear of the Spanish persecution of Protestants, lived in Strasbourg, travelled to Antwerp, then London, and finally settled in Frankfurt-am-Main, where he started a publishing business and printing workshop. Condition: Clean, dark impression. Text below and to verso. Time toning to sheet. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £75.00 |
| Stock ID | 42044 |