Illustrating Knowledge of the Americas in European Print, 1590–1781

Knowledge of lands conquered by European people appeared in books illustrated by artists who, often, had never visited the places they pictured. Meanwhile, in the Americas and the Caribbean, Indigenous and Creole artists appealed to experienced printmakers and publishers in Europe as they worked to build resources and artisanal knowledge within the restrictions of local printing practices.

This project explores European books that deal with this history. It represents the capstone for an undergraduate seminar in the History of Art and Architecture taught at Brown University by Dr. Emily Monty in Spring 2022. The seminar operated as an experimental practicum in working with rare books held at the John Carter Brown Library both in person and through the new Americana platform, which was under development at the time. A group of talented and enthusiastic undergraduate student researchers worked collaboratively over the course of the semester to study five representative books, which we called focus objects. Once students became expert in a focus object, they worked with their peers to write thematic essays connecting focus objects across topics like geography, ecology, and medicine. As they composed these essays, students thought critically about questions of authority and access in the digital space.

The course and this resulting project examine European publications about the natural and cultural history of the Americas. The essays highlight how the power dynamics of coloniality shaped the way that knowledge of Indigenous peoples was collated and distributed by presses in Europe.