Prints and Principles

Most of the recent posts give details about individual prints and earlier posts discuss some of the subtle principles guiding artists in making images meaningful and memorable. For prints that are unsold, click "Items still available for sale" below. All other prints are no longer available. My contact email is oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com and my Instagram username is @printsandprinciples. I have created a separate blog to show my own work: https://printsandprinciplesjamesbrown.blogspot.com

Monday, 9 March 2026

Matthaeus Merian, “The Dutch Discovery of Fly Island,” c. 1655

Matthaeus Merian (also known as Matthäus Merian I) (1593–1650), or possibly Theodoor de Bry (aka Théodore de Bry, Dietrich de Bry, and Dirk de Bry) (1528–1598)

“The Dutch Discovery of Fly Island,” c. 1655— Depicting Schouten and Le Maire's encounter with Tuamotu Islanders (Pa'umotu) and their sailing proa, amidst a plague of insects (flies/mosquitoes) at Ahe Atoll, 1616. This plate is a landmark illustration of early 17th-century Pacific exploration and the search for Terra Australis Incognita.

The flags flying on the two ships (“Eendracht” and “Hoorn”) are three-band horizontally striped banners, indicating Dutch nationality. Notably, they are not part of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), which would display the VOC monogram. This detail is significant: flying the Dutch national colours—either the Prinsenvlag (Orange-White-Blue) or the Statenvlag (Red-White-Blue)—underscores a strategic aim of the expedition: to evade trade restrictions imposed by the VOC in the Spice Islands by charting a western route across the Pacific. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_Schouten.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on fine laid paper with full margins and German letterpress text on both recto and verso. This original book-leaf was published in Frankfurt am Main in 1655 by the Merian heirs, as part of Johann Ludwig Gottfried’s “Newe Welt und Americanische Historien.” The featured etching appears on page 497. See: https://archive.org/details/neweweltvndameri00gott/page/496/mode/2up.

The impression is strong and well-printed. Aside from minor age-toning and a few surface marks, the sheet is in excellent condition—free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or significant stains.

Dimensions:

Sheet: 30.7 x 19.3 cm
Platemark: 17.2 x 18.7 cm
Image borderline: 16.7 x 18.6 cm

Plate Lettering:

Upper left: “Vligen Insel”

Price & Shipping:

AU$258 (approximately US$180.96 / €156.43/ £135.75), including worldwide express shipping. Please note: Import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this historically significant leaf documenting a 1616 event, when the Dutch ship “Eendracht” intercepted a double-hulled Polynesian canoe—some natives attempting to evade capture by swimming away, while others were taken onboard—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

This print has been sold