Americae Retectio: Amerigo Vespucci

Plate 3. This plate illustrates Amerigo Vespucci on his Ship. At the centre Vespucci stands on deck and the central mast has been broken. The Vespucci coat-of-arms is attached to the front mast. To the right Minerva (the god of Science) is represented carrying the gorgon shield and guiding the boat.  In the background, a warrior is riding on a tortoise pulled by four lions. And to the left, two sea creatures are carrying the limbs of drowned men.

Inscriptions in Latin. On image: 'AMERI. VESPVC.' In margin: 'AMERICVS VESPVCCIVS FLORENTINVS portentosa...consensus nominavit. An. Sal. ? .IIID.', '3.'

Americae Retectio (The Discovery of America), is a series of four plates (a picture atlas) commemorating the sucessive discoveries of America by Christopher Columbus, Americus Vespucci and Ferdinand Magellan. In terms of artistic makers: the plates were designed by Stradanus, engraved by Collaert, and originally published by Philip Galle around 1589. Born in Bruges in 1523, Stradanus was a versatile, 16th century mannerist artist who worked across a range of mediums and spent most of his artistic career in Florence. Three editions of Americae Retectio have been published: the first and last were issued from the original plates, with the second edition, issued in the early 17th century, being re-engraved by Mateo Florimi and published in the Speculum in 1638.

Object Details

ID: PAF7097
Type: Print
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Stradanus, Johannes; Collaert, Adrianus Galle, Phillips
Places: Unlinked place
Date made: circa 1589
People: Vespucci, Amerigo
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Sheet: 266 x 348 mm; Mount: 405 mm x 560 mm
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