Customer Reviews

Painter in a Savage Land: The Strange Saga of the First European Artist in North America

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

PAINTER IN A SAVAGE LAND; THE STRANGE SAGA OF THE FIRST EUROPEAN ARTIST IN NORTH AMERICA is a top pick for any art history collection: it offers a well-researched yet lively survey of one Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues, the first European artist to travel around the U.S. capturing its wonders I pencil and paint. In 1564 he and three hundred other French Protestants landed off the coast of Florida - he was one of the few to live the experience, returning home to create dozens of illustrations of America's Native Americans. A powerful, highly recommended art history, this also deserves a place in any collection strong in early American history.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Miles Harvey once again provides an example of excellent storytelling; not only does he give life to an important but relatively unknown period in our collective history, but he excels at crafting a story that subtly ties the past to the present.
I like his exhaustive research, and how he can stick to the facts while exploring possibilities and make relevant the lives of people who previously felt so distant.
His treatment of indigenous Terra Floridians speaks to his ability to examine people and places from more than one perspective. He knows how to engage a reader!

Jacque le Moyne de Morgues, Miles Harvey ultimately concludes, may never have intended to lead quite as adventurous life as he did. Still, given just how dramatic that life proved to be -- he escaped death narrowly on countless occasions during his travels in the New World, only to flee his home country and settle in England to avoid religious persecution, churning out pioneering art work along the way -- it's astonishing that le Moyne is so unknown outside a narrow circle of conoisseurs and collectors of his botanical prints.

Even Harvey stumbled across le Moyne by accident, while promoting his previous book The Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime (which tells an equally obscure but fascinating tale albeit in a more idiosyncratic way). In Florida, a chance encounter makes him aware of a real-life story that lies behind the early map of Florida that illustrated his first book: the saga of France's efforts to found a permanent settlement in the New World -- Fort Caroline, now long since vanished -- and to the artist who accompanied them, Jacques Le Moyne. The handful of artistic works that he produced of Florida's native inhabitants as well as its flaura and fauna are not only the earliest record of region, but a tribute to a now-vanished civilization. Within decades of le Moyne's capturing their images, the Spanish had converted them by force to Catholicism and many were dead of disease, leaving their traditions to vanish into thin air.

Le Moyne, a botanic illustrator by trade, won a place on the French expedition to Florida and spent a turbulent year or so on the North American continent, details of which have been exhaustively researched by Harvey and are dramatically retold, blending the survivors' own recollections whenever possible to portray the initial euphoria of the French explorers, followed by conflict with the local tribes, wintertime starvation, mutiny and ultimately, just as the fledgling colony was about to be relieved, an attack by Spanish forces. Le Moyne survived to bring back to Europe some of the earliest pictures of the North American continent.

This was compelling enough, but I found Harvey's later investigations into le Moyne and Fort Caroline and his quest for answers to long-standing historical questions to be just as intriguing. He is probably more frustrated than any reader will be at the lack of definitive answers, but some of the hypotheses -- did le Moyne have a family connection to the court of Mary, Queen of Scots, for instance? -- are just as dramatic and exciting in their own right as the artist's own adventures.

The only part of this otherwise superb narrative that I felt could have been stronger is some insight into why Harvey and others consider le Moyne to be worthy of such great attention as an artist. He was first on the scene in a few areas -- in portraying life in what Harvey describes in the title as a "savage land" and also in producing compendiums of flower paintings, known as florilegia, long before others followed. But being first doesn't always mean being of superior quality. Harvey notes the Mannerist tendency in le Moyne's drawings of the Florida Indians, which romanticizes and distorts them, and English artists painting in the Carolinas only a few decades later produced what we would see today as far more lifelike renditions of life in the New World. And there is no substantive discussion of the ways in which his botanical illustrations were better than those of his peers or successors; earlier, yes, but better? True, le Moyne led a dramatic life that is probably too much overlooked by historians, but what was it that made it worthy of a book today, more than four centuries later?

Perhaps it's a tribute to Miles Harvey's storytelling talents that even in the absence of an answer to that question, I'd still rate this a solid four-and-a-half stars. It will be of greatest interest to those who have a fascination with the history of first encounters between Europeans and the North American native inhabitants, and of European exploration. But Harvey's own narrative, as he stubbornly tries to find out more about le Moyne -- what he did before and after this dramatic adventure -- is an equally intriguing adventure saga in its own fashion.

If you're interested in pursuing a more scholarly (and very hefty) tome about France's New World explorations, one new narrative that is less dramatic in tone but equally intriguing in content is a new biography of Samuel de Champlain. Champlain's Dream

This is a book that I thought no one would ever have the knowledge, language skills or sheer perseverance to write. As such, I am amazed that Miles Harvey, not only took this project on, but has completed it in such a masterful manner.

Having grown up in Jacksonville, Florida I was aware of Charles Bennett's obsession with documenting attempts by the French and Spanish in the 1560's to colonize and claim Florida. He knew that both countries had expended considerable time, effort and riches to try and establish a foothold in northeast Florida, all to gain access to and protect the Gulf Stream shipping lanes and expand westward to claim the gold, silver and other riches believed to exist in these unknown lands. Bennett, a World War II hero who served more than 40-years in Congress, wrote a number of books on the clashes between France and Spain in Florida (most notably, "Settlement of Florida"), and, - almost single-handedly, using his own personal funds and congressional influence - helped to establish the Fort Caroline National Historic Memorial.

There are many reasons as to why the French-Spanish conflict in Florida has been neglected and Miles Harvey is a brave scholar to pick-up where Bennett and only a few other historians have dared to tread.

First and foremost is the problem that historians have typically exhibited difficulty overcoming the "winner writes the history" context of British and Puritan, Quaker and Calvinist influence on writers of Florida/American history. Second, there is the enormous complexity of this era because the primary sources exist in four languages (English, French, Dutch and Spanish) and are found only in obscure libraries and archives in Europe - if they still exist at all. (So many of such documents were destroyed in fires, shipwrecks or sold and lost over time.) Third, to understand the depth of the hatred between Pedro Menendez and Jean Ribault, one must fully understand the politics that drove the religious wars within countries and between nations during the sixteenth-century. It is a tremendously challenging and complex era to understand; a period some historians have devoted their whole career toward studying, and writing and understanding. And, finally, in these uncertain economic times, just gaining the interest of a publisher willing to support a book project on such an obscure topic with a print run and PR/distribution sufficient to be worth the time that the author would have to invest would be an accomplishment in itself. Thankfully - with "Painter in a Savage Land" - Miles Harvey has been brilliantly successful on all counts.

In my study of Florida history I've been haunted by accounts of Pedro Menendez's capture and murder of Jean Ribault and his shipwrecked French sailors and soldiers. How he brought them over what is now Matanzas Inlet (just south of Saint Augustine), tied their hands behind them, and then - after asking each if they were Catholic or willing to renounce their Protestant faith - the Catholic-Spaniards calmly and deliberately stabbed and slashed the throat of each of the 250-350 Protestant Frenchmen, one-by-one. What kind of a religious faith or distorted frame-of-mind would allow a commander and his men to commit such an atrocity with conviction and calmness? Finally, after reading Harvey's book, I understand.

Harvey's book is three tales in one. First, there's the story of the French illustrator and painter, Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues and his adventures as expedition artist in the ill-fated French-Protestant expedition to settle near Jacksonville, Florida in 1564. This tale, taking up the first 171 pages of the book is beautifully illustrated with plates based upon Le Moyne's works, providing readers with a fascinating description of native Timucuan customs and dress and an informed discussion of their interactions with both the French and Spanish.

The second storyline, is an examination of Le Moyne's connections with Sir Walter Raleigh and his expedition artist, John White; his later botanical works for his probable patron, Lady Mary Sidney; and, the publication of his works by art publisher Theodor de Bray. The third, is based on the author's ongoing concern throughout the book as to whether or not any portion of (or all of) some of the maps, drawings and paintings that come to market at art auctions or are presently included in art galleries and libraries can be attributed to Le Moyne.

A true accomplishment, Miles Harvey's well-written and beautifully presented, "Painter in a Savage Land," is highly recommended for both academic and public library collections and readers interested in the exploration and settlement of North America.

R. Neil Scott
Middle Tennessee State University

Much of what we know about the Timucua Indians living in North Central Florida at the time the Spaniards arrived in the early 1500's is based on the sketches and descriptions by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues, as converted to engravings by Theodor de Bry. In this book, Miles Harvey describes the life of the painter, the first to have come to these shores with an assignment to record native American life in pictures and writing. He was a member of a group of about 300 French Huguenots, who set sail in 1564 to establish a colony in Florida and founded Fort Caroline, at the mouth of the St. John's river. What follows is an incredible story of encounters with the Timucua, their support and politics, their chief Satiwa trying to get French help to defeat the tribes to the west led by Utina and Potano, promises to reach the gold and silver contents of the "apalatsi"mountains in the west, and trouble with supplies and food not coming from France as promised due to European politics and religious wars. There were attacks by pirates, mutinies, starvation, and finally destruction of the fort and murder of its inhabitants by the Spaniards led by Pedro Menendez in 1565, who saw the reformists as the devil who had to be killed. The supply ships commanded by Jack Ribault were caught further south and 300 huguenots were massacred in Matanzas, ending the French attempts at colonization.
Miraculously, Jacques Le Moyne escaped together with his commander Rene Laudonniere and "an elderly carpenter" named Nicolas Le Challeux. All three of them kept records of their expeditions, useful to explain Le Moyne's "water color drawings". When these drawings were produced is subject to much speculation. They were given to Theodor De Bry by Jacques Le Moyne's widow after his death. He had been living in London and was in service to Sir Walter Raleigh. At that time, he was famous for his "Botanicals", paintings of flowers, plants and herbs. De Bry published the American paintings as engravings on copper plates together with the translated narrative in 1590. It was a huge commercial success that continued under his successors for more than thirty years.
Over the next 300 years, Fort Caroline, the Timucua and Jacques Le Moyne's original manuscript all disappeared. It was not until 1946 that Stefan Lorant, "the father of photojournalism", published "The New World: The First Pictures of America", which included the De Bry engravings of le Moyne's work and new translations of the chronicles of the three explorers. The book became an instant hit and sold thirty-five thousand copies.
The saga continues with the legendary Charles E. Bennett, US Representative from Florida for over 40 years. He was the driving force behind the establishment of the Fort Caroline National Memorial in 1953, which was expended in 1988 to the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. Fort Caroline has not been found, but the search for the fort and the native American villages in its neighborhood keeps on going. The author of this book spins an adventure yarn that is based on careful research and imaginative new investigations, peopled with important characters of the 16th century and the last 70 years. It is a delight to read for any history buff interested in Native American and European history.

Miles Harvey had his work cut out for him. While scholars recognized the importance of Jacques Le Moyne's art from a historical perspective, the artists himself has remained lost to posterity. In "Painter in a Savage Land", Harvey sheds light on this neglected figure and guides him through the failed French colonies in South Carolina and Florida in the 1560s with side trips through the French religious conflicts, the Timucuans and other native peoples in Florida, Walter Raleigh's England, the career of a charmingly obsessed history buff who served in Congress, and the failed Roanoke colony. It is a remarkable work, offering a readable narrative and excellent analysis. While good on Le Moyne, it must also be noted that "Painter in a Savage Land" is even better on the fate of Ft. Caroline colony. It is a dramatic tale and Harvey is able to flesh out the problems that the Huguenot colonists faced and even highlighting some of the leading personalities. This work ranks as the most accessible introduction to Ft. Caroline and even offers some interesting ideas (for example, my opinion of Jean Ribault's effective leadership changed dramatically after reading this work). This is an excellent book that shows how biography can offer insight into art and religious, cultural and political history.

The story of Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues is finally told, and in gripping fashion. Hired as illustrator and cartographer for the Ribault/Laudonniere expedition to Florida in 1564, Le Moyne endured unbearable privations to make the first watercolors of the New World's flora, fauna, and native inhabitants. When the Spanish under Menéndez slaughtered the French colonists, Le Moyne was one of a few who escaped and made their way back to France. He spent his final years in London as a botanical artist.

PAINTER IN A SAVAGE LAND is thoroughly researched and generously illustrated. Miles Harvey tells Le Moyne's fascinating story vividly and engagingly. Anyone interested in early illustrations of the American continent (in fact the earliest of all) or the history of European colonization will appreciate Harvey's contribution to the fields. Anyone interested in reading a gripping tale will have trouble putting this book down.