A Chief Lady of Pomeiooc 1590

Curator: This is Theodor de Bry's engraving, "A Chief Lady of Pomeiooc." De Bry, who lived from 1528 to 1598, never actually visited the Americas. Editor: Right. It’s got a strange, dreamlike quality. The figures feel so stoic, almost frozen, against that oddly flattened landscape. Curator: These images are based on the accounts and watercolors of John White, the governor of the Roanoke colony. They circulated widely and shaped European perceptions. Editor: Shaped, yes, but also filtered and transformed. The lady seems to embody a serene strength, but the scene also hints at underlying tensions, a clash of cultures perhaps? Curator: Exactly. The engraving portrays an idealized view, influenced by European expectations and biases. Editor: It's a fascinating and somewhat unsettling glimpse into a past both real and imagined, isn’t it?