watercolors by Englishman John White, an artist who accompanied the “Lost Colony” expedition in 1585, depicting Native American life. Here’s a descriiption from the National Humanities Center website:
In 1585 White, an artist and cartographer, accompanied the voyage from England to the Outer Banks of North Carolina under a plan of Sir Walter Raleigh to settle “Virginia.” White was at Roanoke Island for about thirteen months before returning to England for more supplies. During this period he made a series of over seventy watercolor drawings of indigenous people, plants, and animals. The purpose of his drawings was to give those back home an accurate idea of the inhabitants and environment in the New World. Despite their extraordinary significance, the watercolors were not published until the twentieth century. In 1590, Theodor De Bry made engravings from White’s drawings to be printed in Thomas Hariot’s account of the journey. Hariot, a mathematician, had also been part of the 1585 voyage. In his engravings, De Bry took certain liberties with White’s images, and including them together here gives students and teachers everywhere the opportunity to use this material as a pedagogical resource on English views of native people.
Discuss: What are the differences between White’s paintings and De Bry’s engravings? Choose at least one painting/engraving pair. How does White depict the Indians he saw? Keeping in mind that De Bry did his work in England, and never saw the people or places painted by White, what can his engravings tell us about conceptions of Indians and America in England in the late 16th century?
These should be short paragraph responses in complete sentences. Need to have a 200-word response!
