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This copperplate engraving by Crispijn van de Passe the Elder depicts the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1451–1512) in a chest-up profile portrait, framed within an ornate oval design. The Latin inscription around the portrait reads, "Americus Vesputius Florentinus Terrae Bresilianae Inventor et Subactor" ("Amerigo Vespucci of Florence, Discoverer and Subjugator of the Land of Brazil").
The corners surrounding the oval frame are adorned with symbolic imagery: a bird, a bow and arrows, two ship anchors, and a representation of a Native American figure, featuring a head, arm, and foot. These embellishments emphasize themes of exploration, maritime navigation, and the indigenous peoples of the Americas, underscoring Vespucci's encounters in the New World. Below the portrait, several lines of Latin text further praise Vespucci’s achievements. The engraving is signed by Van Passe within the plate by the monogram "PCV," positioned just beneath the portrait and above the frame's base.
Amerigo Vespucci was a pivotal figure during the Age of Exploration, participating in at least two transatlantic voyages in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Through his widely read publications, Vespucci described the lands he visited, including modern-day Brazil, coining the term "New World" to distinguish them from Asia. His observations were influential in shaping European understanding of the Americas. In 1507, cartographer Martin Waldseemüller honored Vespucci by labeling this newly identified landmass with the Latinized version of his name, "America," on his groundbreaking world map.
The text below the map reads as follows:
Dignus ego ante alios magni comes ire Columbi, Navalem sub quo didici tolerare magistr[o]. Militiam; hinc proprio pedibus contraria nostris Regna meo Regi quamplurima Marte subegi. Testis erit nomen retinens de nomine nostro Maxima totius pars Orbis America dicta.
Translation: I am worthy to have gone as the companion of the great Columbus above others, Under whom I learned to endure the discipline of naval command. From there, I traveled on my own feet to lands opposed to ours, And by my efforts conquered many kingdoms for my King. The name will bear witness, retaining from my name, The greatest part of the world is called America.
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