Ancient map of America XVI century by Theodor de Bry.

America sive Novus Orbis Respectu Europaeorum Inferior Globi Terrestris Pars by Theodor de Bry.

Theodor de Bry was a Flemish-born engraver and publisher active during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Renowned for his elaborate illustrated travel narratives, de Bry brought European audiences vivid visual accounts of the New World through his engravings. Although he never visited the Americas himself, his work—often based on explorers’ journals—shaped European perceptions of the indigenous peoples and landscapes. His style combined precise line work with dramatic, imaginative interpretations, contributing significantly to early colonial-era visual culture.

America sive Novus Orbis Respectu Europaeorum Inferior Globi Terrestris Pars, published around 1596, is a striking copperplate engraving depicting the Americas in the context of the known world. This hemispherical map places the New World within a Eurocentric framework, reflecting contemporary geographical understanding and colonial ambitions. Richly detailed and embellished with sea monsters, ships, and indigenous figures, the work blends cartographic precision with narrative illustration. It forms part of de Bry’s larger America series, which sought to document and romanticize European encounters with the Western Hemisphere.