Aankomst de vloot bij Acapulco, 1624 1644 - 1646

This print shows the arrival of a fleet at Acapulco and was made in 1624 by an anonymous artist. It's a bird’s eye view of Acapulco Bay, with numerous ships anchored offshore. Acapulco, located on the Pacific coast of what is now Mexico, was a crucial port for the Spanish Empire. This image vividly illustrates the colonial project in action. The ships, symbols of European power and commerce, arrive to extract resources and wealth from the Americas. The print underscores the city's role as a nexus of global trade, part of a network that forcibly connected Europe, the Americas, and Asia. As art historians, we use a wide variety of resources to properly understand a work like this. It's important to look at shipping records, port authority documents, and even merchants' correspondence to get the full story. Only then can we begin to understand the complex social, economic, and cultural forces that shaped the artwork.