Montanus (Arnoldus)

the fortified Spanish port of Trujillo in Honduras, first settled in 1525 as a departure point for shipments of gold and silver from the interior of Central America back to Spain. This made it a ready target for pirates over a prolonged period, necessitating a lot of fortification, but most notably by the Dutch fleet under Admiral van Hoorn in 1635, the scene depicted here, as part of their strategic approach to work southwards towards their eventual goal of reclaiming Brazil. This plate is from either the original Dutch publication of ‘Die Nieuwe en onbekende Weereld’, by Arnoldus Montanus, and published by Jacob van Meurs, or its near contemporary English translation by John Ogilby under the title ‘America: Being the Latest and Most Accurate Description of the New World’. The plate has a title banderole in the sky, upper centre, and a Latin key in the lower left margin,

engraving on laid paper, 285 x 340 mm. (11 1/4 x 13 3/8 in), a central vertical fold as issued, very slight browning and a few marginal spots,