Theodor de Bry

Theodor de Bry Dietrich de Bry, Johann Theodor de Bry, Theodoor de Bry and Dirk de Bry (* 1528 in Liege, † March 27, 1598 in Frankfurt am Main ) was a goldsmith, engraver and publisher of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and was one of the ancestors of Calvinist family of artists de Bry.

Life

Youth in Liege and the time in Strasbourg

Theodore was born in 1528 as the son of the wealthier sent Protestant family de Bry of Liège, Liege. He learned very likely with his father Thiry de Bry " the Younger " the goldsmith's art and engraving in copper plates (copper jump-off).

1560 we find Theodor de Bry in Strasbourg, where he married a Catherine Esslinger and founded his household. The data for the reasons of the change from Liege to Strasbourg contradict each other. Older sources indicate that in 1570 the Catholic Spain, which had occupied the southern Netherlands, began to pursue Flemish Protestants. Theodor de Bry was allegedly accused of heresy, confiscated his property and he banished from his homeland. The fact that he was based in Strasbourg as 10 years ago, makes a flight from Liege, excommunication unrealistic. After today, Liège was at that time as prince-bishopric of Liège, a sovereign state stands next to the duchies of Brabant, Luxembourg and the Spanish / Austrian Netherlands. The official religion, however, was a Roman Catholic, and it may well be that the Protestant de Bry 's assessment of future prospects skeptical. The independent Strasbourg at any rate at that time was also wealthy, but facing the Protestantism and had achieved by the many religious refugees recorded a significant artistic reputation: They made a thriving city of Strasbourg goldsmith and engraver art ( engraving ).

Time in Frankfurt

1578 finally Theodor de Bry and his family went to Frankfurt am Main, founded an engraver and publishing company and applied for the citizenship.

Between 1586 and 1588 he spent some time in London, worked together with the geographer Richard Hakluyt and began to collect reports and illustrations of various European research expeditions. After his return in 1589, he worked out his plans for new publications with his sons.

From 1590 to 1634 Theodor de Bry published two of the most important collections of early modern travelogue in Frankfurt. The West Indian Tourism (also called "History of America" ​​) and the East India Travel. The entire collection came under the title " Collectiones peregrinationum in Indiam Orientalem et Indiam Occidentalem XXV partibus comprehensae; opus illustratum figuris Aeneid Fratrum de Bry et Meriani " out. In this and in his other work was supported de Bry of his two sons Johann Theodor (1561-1623) and Johann Israel ( 1570-1611 ).

In the former propaganda war between Catholics and Protestants, the Calvinist de Bry at the service of the latter. In particular, the work of Catholic superpower Spain in the New World he depicted in the darkest colors, thereby contributing also to the emergence of the leyenda negra at.

Theodor de Bry died on March 27, 1598 at the age of 70 years. His widow, Catherine de Bry and his two sons Johann Theodor and Johann Israel carried on his business.

Works

The Theodor de Bry, published in Frankfurt two travelogue collections are among the most important in the early modern period and established his reputation for posterity:

He created in 1594 the arrival of Columbus in the New World. The West Indian Travel ( ed. 1590-1618 ) reported the discovery and conquest of America by the Europeans, while the East Indian Travel the rise of Holland for trading power in Asia followed these in 1600. Both series appeared in German and Latin, were intended for a European audience, and richly illustrated with engravings. By de Bry's America's history many Europeans have in the first place to know the clothing and customs of the Native Americans.

Theodor de Bry was able to publish only six parts of his oeuvre. After his death his sons Johann Theodor and Johann Israel, who worked as an engraver also, and then Johann Theodor's son Matthew Merian continued the work until 1634. It contained at the end of 25 parts and over 1500 engravings. The succession of the brothers as engraver and publisher came to Sebastian Furck.

With its global -scale publishing project of the de Bry unfolded a world of images that was coined by the wonders and horrors of the newly discovered worlds as well as from the stereotypes and artistic traditions of the Europeans in terms of different and foreign. The result is a picture archive, which is actively used to this day and still influences our understanding of the early colonial history.

In addition, Theodor de Bry was with Jean Jacques Boissard (1528-1602) 100 Gelehrtenviten with engraving portraits out ( 1597-1598 ). His sons continued under the name of Bibliotheca chalcographica become known work, which included 438 Gelehrtenbildnisse at the end, together with the Frankfurt writers Johann Adam Lonicerus continued.