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Interesting and fanciful map of the Island of Santa Clara (Isla Do Francez), as seen by the Dutch in 1599. In 1599, a Dutch Fleet, commanded by Oliver van Noort, fleet reached an island in the natural harbor of Rio de Janeiro. Many were in poor health after their Atlantic crossing and when they found an island to the north of Rio de Janeiro which they called Santa Clara, they stayed for two weeks. During this respite, two crew members died and the rest were required keep guard against attack from local Indians. Before continuing the journey south, the Dutch set fire to one of their ships, which had been too badly damaged to repair. The view shows 4 ships, one of which is burning, along with an encampment and native scene on the island. Latin text, with some loss in the lower right corner, not affecting the engraved image.
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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