Inuentio Maris Magallicani
Theodor de Bry (1528-1598)
Illustration from the 4th volume of Grands Voyages
Frankfurt, Germany, 1594
Engraving
WOP-7

DeBry, a publisher and engraver, produced the massive Grands Voyages which was a compendium of accounts of the exploration of the Americas. The fourth volume contains accounts of the encounters with the native peoples and the events that occurred. An extremely popular series of books, Grands Voyages was published in several languages and was read by aristocrats, merchants, and artisans.

This illustration shows Ferdinand Magellan navigating through the strait which would later bear his name. He is curiously pictured next to an armillary sphere, an instrument not used in navigation. To the left or north is Patagonia (modern-day Argentina and Chile); to the right or South is the Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) named after the fires, visible even through mist and rain, that the natives lit on the shores of this island.

Symbolism abounds, representing things that Magellan supposedly saw on his voyage, such as flying fish, as well as more literal symbols, such as the flag of the emperor Charles V of Germany. The figure swallowing an arrow represents a Patagonian giant, who reportedly performed this feat when trying to relieve himself of stomachaches. Neptune reclines on a cloud accompanied by one of the winds, watching Magellan's voyage unfold beneath him.