European Images of the New World

Natives as Cruel, Savage 1590 De Bry Engraving

De Bry 1590

Powhatan Uprising, 1622

Savagery

Child Sacrifice

The Question of Cannibalism Hans Staden Engraving, 1557

Giants and Sea Monsters 1562 Map of America by Diego Gutierrez

Spanish Cruelty Depicted As Well De Bry a Protestant who wanted to condemn Spanish Catholicism

Yet, also Land of Plenty, Edenic De Bry (and others, such as the Virginia Company, wanted to promote English and Dutch settlement

Preparing for a Feast

Women Working “The men fish, hunt, and go to war. They don’t want to be seen doing any woman’s work. Most of the time the men do nothing. The women and children do the rest of the work. They make mats, baskets, and pots. They pound their corn, make their bread, prepare their food, plant their corn, gather their corn, bear all kinds of burdens, and such like. --From John Smith, Historie of Virginia, 1624 “The men fish, hunt, and go to war. They don’t want to be seen doing any woman’s work. Most of the time the men do nothing. The women and children do the rest of the work. They make mats, baskets, and pots. They pound their corn, make their bread, prepare their food, plant their corn, gather their corn, bear all kinds of burdens, and such like. --From John Smith, Historie of Virginia, 1624

Depicted as Eager to Trade “I gave some of them red caps and gave others glass beads which they hung about their necks. They liked the cheap gifts very much.... They were handsome and in great shape. I think they would be good servants because they repeat whatever I said to them.” --From Christopher Columbus letter; October 12, 1942

Attempts at Historical Accuracy De Bry Engraving of a Woman and Child

De Bry Engraving Showing Native Body Markings

Yet, Still Europeanized View Women fair-skinned, light-haired

Figures posed in groups, as in Classical paintings, with Classical-style gestures.

Historical, Geographical Inaccuracies (A Mexican icon, temple scene transported to Virginia)

Later Portraits even more Romanticized, Europeanized 1700 French engraving of Virginian Indians

1806 Engraving