A speculative portrait of the King of Florida, which was part of a series Nicolas de Larmessin (1632-1694) made and included the kings of Congo, Guinea, China, and New England.
The long caption beneath the portrait describes the land where Native Americans live - “le Nouveau Monde, entre Virginia et al Nouvelle Espagne” - fertile soil, with plenty of animals to hunt, and where both silver and gold can be found. It concludes: “Ces peuples sonts forts, vaillans, et cruels.”
An accomplished printmaker, Larmessin was apprenticed to Jean Mathieu in 1647. He later married Marie Bertrand, daughter of the publisher, whose business Larmessin took over around 1678.
