Amerika, en afbeelding der vier werelddeelen 1819 - 1840

This image, made by Alexander Cranendoncq in the 19th century, presents an allegorical representation of America and the four continents. Note how each continent is depicted through its people and their supposed customs. The romanticized and generalized images of native peoples from different parts of America are particularly striking. Consider the figure representing "Amerika," a native American figure adorned with feathers and a bow. This iconography of the "noble savage" echoes classical ideals of virtue, purity, and closeness to nature. This archetype, reappears across centuries from classical antiquity to early Renaissance art and beyond. Yet, it is transformed here, laden with new colonial-era perceptions, and shaped by European desires and anxieties about the New World. This symbol serves as a stark reminder of how cultural memory can both ennoble and distort our understanding of different cultures.