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This map depicts the Dutch expedition's arrival on the coast of Russian Lapland during their passage across the White Sea. Titled “Quo pacto Mare Album traiicientes, in Lappiam appulerimus” (“How we crossed the White Sea and arrived in Lapland”), it illustrates both geographic and ethnographic elements observed by the crew during their ill-fated Arctic explorations under the leadership of Willem Barentsz.
The map centers on the northern coast of what is now the Kola Peninsula, labeled "Lappia," bordered by the White Sea (here referred to as Mare Album). Notable place names include Cola (present-day Kola), Kildini (Kildin Island), Olina (Olenya), and Mokosef (possibly a variant of modern Murmansk or nearby locales). Compass roses, rhumb lines, and coastal formations convey the nautical focus of the expedition, while settlements and rivers are marked in simplified, schematic form. A cartouche at the top right depicts four inhabitants of the region in native costume, suggestive of the local Sámi and Pomor peoples encountered by the Dutch.
Beneath the map, a scene of four Laplanders in fur garments appears—some walking with staffs or skis, others carrying burdens on their backs. This lower tableau serves both to enhance the map visually and to provide ethnographic insight. The travelers’ distinctive fur-trimmed clothing and means of transport reflect the authors' observations of indigenous Arctic lifeways, shaped by adaptation to severe northern climates.
The accompanying Latin text recounts the crew’s experience crossing the “white or frozen sea” and landing in Lapland, where persistent rains and the force of rivers made disembarkation difficult. The Dutch encountered Russian traders, including thirteen men in a nearby tent, who offered them fish and hospitality. Bread was scarce, but dried fish and oil were abundant, and local customs—such as consuming fish raw and wearing coats made from fish skins—are described with a mix of curiosity and admiration. The text also notes the presence of Russian women who wore head coverings similar to those worn by free women in Holland, a detail illustrated above.
Theodor de Bry (1528-1598) was a prominent Flemish engraver and publisher best known for his engravings of the New World. Born in Liege, de Bry hailed from the portion of Flanders then controlled by Spain. The de Brys were a family of jewelers and engravers, and young Theodor was trained in those artisanal trades.
As a Lutheran, however, his life and livelihood were threatened when the Spanish Inquisition cracked down on non-Catholics. De Bry was banished and his goods seized in 1570. He fled to Strasbourg, where he studied under the Huguenot engraver Etienne Delaune. He also traveled to Antwerp, London, and Frankfurt, where he settled with his family.
In 1590, de Bry began to publish his Les Grands Voyages, which would eventually stretch to thirty volumes released by de Bry and his two sons. The volumes contained not only important engraved images of the New World, the first many had seen of the geographic novelties, but also several important maps. He also published a collection focused on India Orientalis. Les Grands Voyages was published in German, Latin, French, and English, extending de Bry’s fame and his view of the New World.
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