Between the Wonderful and the Useful

America in the Eyes of 16th-Century Europeans

Peer-reviewed article, Submitted 22.05.2025, Accepted 21.10.2025

Iwona Krupecka

ikrupecka@wp.pl
Uniwersytet Gdański (Poland)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9247-6879

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present selected European visual representations of America from the 16th century. The text is divided into four main parts: 1. Devoted to the transition from the T/O map model to the map based on geometric coordinates; 2. A discussion of the “tropicality” of America and the relationship between images and geographical discourse; 3. An analysis of the notion of America’s “nakedness” in two dimensions – namely, as an allegory of the continent and in depictions of its nude inhabitants; and 4. A presentation of the discourse and imagery related to the exploitation of the New World’s resources.



Keywords:

America, Europe, conquest, colonialism, visuality

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Published
2026-02-03

Cited by

Krupecka, I. (2026) “Between the Wonderful and the Useful: America in the Eyes of 16th-Century Europeans”, Konteksty, 351(4), pp. 172–181. doi: 10.36744/k.4483.

Authors

Iwona Krupecka 
ikrupecka@wp.pl
Uniwersytet Gdański Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9247-6879

Iwona Krupecka – historyczka filozofii nowożytnej. Pracuje w Instytucie Filozofii UG. Autorka książek Don Kichote w krainie filozofów (2012) oraz Kartezjusz i Kanibale (2021). Tłumaczy z hiszpańskiego. W pracy badawczej koncentruje się na epoce wczesnej nowożytności, filozofii hiszpańskiej i filozofii międzykulturowej.



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