Theodor de Bry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Theodor de Bry
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A self-portrait of Theodor de Bry
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| Born | 1528 |
| Died | 27 March 1598 (aged 69–70) |
| Known for | Engraving |
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Notable work
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Collectiones peregrinatiorum in Indiam orientalem et Indiam occidentalem (1590–1633) |
Theodor de Bry (also known as Theodorus de Bry) was a skilled engraver, goldsmith, and publisher who lived from 1528 to 1598. He became famous for his detailed pictures of early European trips to the Americas. Theodor de Bry was a Protestant. Because of the Spanish Inquisition, he had to leave his home in the Southern Netherlands, which was controlled by Spain at the time.
He traveled a lot across Europe. He was born in Liège, a city in what is now Belgium. Later, he moved to Strasbourg, then Antwerp, London, and finally settled in Frankfurt.
De Bry created many engraved pictures for his books. Even though he never visited the Americas himself, his books were often based on stories from explorers who had been there. Many of his pictures look very formal but are full of details. They helped Europeans imagine what the "New World" was like.
Contents
Theodor de Bry's Life Story
Theodor de Bry was born in 1528 in Liège, a city that is now part of Belgium. His family had escaped from the city of Dinant many years earlier. His grandfather and father were both jewelers and engravers. Theodor learned these skills from them. Engraving on copper plates was a very important way to print pictures in books back then.
Theodor de Bry became a Protestant. In 1570, he was told he could never return to his home and his belongings were taken away. This forced him to move to Strasbourg, a city along the Rhine River. In 1577, he moved to Antwerp, which was then part of the Spanish Netherlands. There, he continued to improve his skills as a copper engraver.
Between 1585 and 1588, Theodor de Bry lived in London. While there, he met a geographer named Richard Hakluyt. De Bry started collecting stories and pictures from different European explorations, especially from an artist named Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues.
In 1588, Theodor de Bry and his family moved to Frankfurt, Germany, for good. He became a citizen there and began to plan his first books. His most famous work is called Les Grands Voyages, which means "The Great Travels" or "The Discovery of America." He also published a similar series called India Orientalis. His books were printed in Latin, German, English, and French so more people could read them.
Illustrating the New World
In 1590, Theodor de Bry and his sons published a new book with pictures. It was an updated version of Thomas Harriot's A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia. This book was about the first English settlements in North America, in what is now North Carolina. De Bry's pictures were based on watercolor paintings by a colonist named John White.
The book sold very well. The next year, de Bry published another book about the first French attempts to settle in Florida. This included stories about Fort Caroline, which was founded by Jean Ribault and René de Laudonnière. This book had 43 pictures based on paintings by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues, who was one of the few people to survive Fort Caroline. The images and descriptions in the book showed the Timucua people. Jacques de Moyne had planned to publish his own stories, but he died in 1587. De Bry said he bought de Moyne's paintings from his widow in London and used them for his engravings.
Theodor de Bry and his son, John-Theodore, sometimes changed the original stories and pictures. They did this to make the books more appealing to buyers and to fit their own understanding of the original art. The Latin and German versions of the books were different, depending on who they thought would read them.
How Accurate Were the Pictures?
It's important to remember that many of de Bry's pictures might not be perfectly accurate. This is mainly because he never actually traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. For example, the Amerindians (Native Americans) in his pictures often look like people from Southern Europe. His pictures also sometimes mixed customs and objects from different Native American tribes.
Theodor de Bry even included some pictures of cannibalism. This was a common idea in Europe about the Americas, partly because of stories from explorers like Amerigo Vespucci. Overall, de Bry's many pictures and writings greatly shaped how Europeans thought about the New World, Africa, and Asia.
Other Important Works
Besides his famous "Great Travels" series, Theodor de Bry also engraved other important works. These included:
- Twelve plates showing the Procession of the Knights of the Garter in 1587.
- Thirty-four plates showing the Procession at the Obsequies of Sir Philip Sidney.
- Pictures for Thomas Harriot's Brief and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia (published in Frankfurt, 1590).
- Plates for the six volumes of Jean-Jacques Boissard's Romanae Urbis Topogrephia et Antiquitates (1597–1602).
- A series of 100 portraits and biographies of important thinkers and Protestants called Icones Virorum Illustrium (1597–1599), which he worked on with Boissard.
Theodor de Bry's two sons, Johann Theodor de Bry (1561–1623) and Johann Israel de Bry (1565–1609), helped him with his work. After their father died in Frankfurt on March 27, 1598, they continued the Collectiones series, expanding it to include voyages to Asia, reaching 30 volumes. They also continued illustrating Boissard's work and added to the Icones and other important publications.
Today, you can see Theodor de Bry's work and engravings in many museums around the world. These include museums in Liège, his birthplace, and Brussels in Belgium. In France, his works are kept at the Library of the Marine Historical Service near Paris. In the United States, copies are at the Public Library of New York and the University of California at Los Angeles. In Argentina, you can find copies at the Museo Maritimo de Ushuaia and the Navy Department of Historic Studies in Buenos Aires. In Scotland, Edinburgh University Library has eleven of his titles.
Main Works
Theodor de Bry's most important work was a large collection of books about travels and discoveries.
- 1590–1634: Collectiones peregrinatiorum in Indiam orientalem et Indiam occidentalem. This huge collection, also known as Les Grands Voyages, was published in many parts. Theodor de Bry edited and illustrated the first six parts. His sons, Johann Theodor and Johann Israel de Bry, continued the series after him. This collection included stories and pictures from explorations in both the East and West Indies (the Americas).
See also
- Black Legend, a historical idea about how Spain was seen by other European countries.
Images for kids
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The Map of Virginia, from around 1585–1586, showing the area around Albemarle Sound.
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The Towne of Pomeiooc, an engraved picture by de Bry from Thomas Hariot's book about Virginia.
