About this sheet
Rare 17th Century View of St. Augustine Florida, Hand-Colored, 1671
Original hand-colored copper engraving depicting St. Augustine, Florida, published in Amsterdam in 1671. This important early view appeared in Arnoldus Montanus’ celebrated work on the Americas, De Nieuwe en Onbekende Weereld (The New and Unknown World), published by Jacob van Meurs.
Title: Pagus Hispanorum in Florida
Maker / Author: Arnoldus Montanus (1625–1683)
Publisher: Jacob van Meurs
Place of Publication: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Date: 1671
Technique: Hand-colored copper engraving on laid paper
Subject: St. Augustine, Florida, United States
A highly decorative 17th-century European view of the Spanish settlement of St. Augustine in Florida, titled “Pagus Hispanorum in Florida.”
The engraving presents an expansive maritime scene with the settlement and fortifications beyond a busy harbor. Numerous European sailing vessels and smaller boats occupy the water, while figures, goods and tropical vegetation animate the foreground. The scene reflects the fascination of 17th-century European audiences with the settlements, peoples and landscapes of the Americas.
The plate was published in Arnoldus Montanus’ De Nieuwe en Onbekende Weereld: of Beschryving van America en ’t Zuid-Land, issued in Amsterdam by Jacob van Meurs in 1671. Montanus’ monumental publication became one of the best-known illustrated Dutch works devoted to the Americas during the 17th century.
Although presented as a view of St. Augustine, such engravings should not be understood as precise topographical records. Montanus and his publisher relied on earlier accounts, maps and visual sources, and the scenes were composed for a European readership. The result combines historical geography with the elaborate pictorial style characteristic of Dutch book illustration of the period.
The engraving is especially attractive for its extensive early hand coloring, with muted blues, greens, reds and yellows emphasizing the ships, landscape, architecture and figures.
Verso: Blank
Condition:
Good antique condition with age-related toning and minor handling marks consistent with a work of this age. Visible central vertical fold as issued. Please study the photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.
Style / Period:
Dutch Golden Age
Baroque
17th Century
Provenance / Publication:
From Arnoldus Montanus, De Nieuwe en Onbekende Weereld: of Beschryving van America en ’t Zuid-Land, Amsterdam, Jacob van Meurs, 1671.
This is an original antique copper engraving published in 1671, not a modern reproduction.
Sold unframed. Any framed or interior images shown are for presentation and inspiration only.
Keywords:
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