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Kaspar van Baerle (1584–1648)
Rerum per Octennium in Brasilia  (History of Events During Eight Years in Brazil) 1647 (frontispiece)
Courtesy of the Fundação Biblioteca Nacional, Brazil

 

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Fundação Biblioteca Nacional
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil

Rerum per Octennium in Brasilia
1647

For much of the first half of the seventeenth century, the Dutch West India Company attempted to wrest what is now Brazil away from the Portuguese, with limited success. Dutch holdings in South America reached their peak under Count Johan Maurits (1604–1679), who was appointed Governor-General of Dutch Brazil in 1636 and was in power from 1637 to 1644. Under Maurits, the Dutch remained in possession of the Brazilian coast for some distance to the northwest, and to the south of their capital, Recife, on the easternmost 'bump' of Brazil.

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click to zoomKaspar van Baerle (1584–1648)
Rerum per Octennium in Brasilia  (History of Events During Eight Years in Brazil) 1647
Courtesy of the Fundação Biblioteca Nacional, Brazil

 

When he returned to Europe, Maurits commissioned a book about his Brazilian government, and chose Dutch poet Kaspar van Baerle (1584–1648) to write it. Baerle (who wrote in Latin under the signature 'Barlaeus', and is known to Brazilians today as 'Barleu') was highly regarded for his Latin poetry, although this rare book is now his most famous work. It was lavishly produced—some copies were embossed in gold—and all but eight of the much-admired plates are signed by Frans Post (1612–1680), the renowned painter who accompanied Maurits to Brazil. The volume on display is one of the few that were hand-coloured at the time of publication.

The Dutch did not retain their colony in Brazil after Maurits retired. They lost more territory to the Portuguese with each succeeding year, until, by the end of 1653, they had little left but Recife, and were besieged in all directions. They renounced all their holdings on 26 January, 1654.