Pate 19 from nova repertae (c. 1600), entitled "the development of the mariners astrolabe and the discovery of america by amerigo vespucci". Depiction of amerigo vespucci finding the southern cross constellation with an "astrolabium". Event described by vespucci in his letter to lorenzo di pierfrancesco de' medici (dated 1500) as happening during his 1499 voyage to the indies. Print includes vespucci's own allusion to a relevant passage in dante's purgatorio (passage). Although this is one of the first recorded references to the use of the mariner's astrolabe in navigation, the artist seems unfamiliar with that instrument, and has vespucci holding a spherical version instead; there seems to also be a quadrant on the table (also reported used by vespucci). N. B. - this 1500 letter was not known to exist until discovered by bandini in 1745! artist either knew of it already, or may have drawn speculatively from a very brief reference to astrolabe in vespucci's letter published in 1505 mundus novus (passage, although, unlike in the 1500 letter, there is no reference to the southern cross nor dante here). Etching by jan collaert, based on stradanus, 1591. Date: 1591 (Stradanus), c.1600 (Collaert).
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