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Secondary sourcePainting1936

Vasco da Gama Leaving Portugal

John Henry Amshewitz · 1936

A 1936 mural by John Henry Amshewitz showing da Gama leaving Lisbon in 1497, with the astronomer Abraham Zacuto presenting his tables to him.

Shows da Gama's departure from Lisbon in 1497 as a later artist imagined it, including his meeting with astronomer Abraham Zacuto.

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Large horizontal historical mural in warm earth tones showing a crowned king on a red throne under a banner with a cross, with robed clergy, armored men, sailors, a kneeling figure, and a ship with sails in the background.
John Henry Amshewitz, Vasco da Gama Leaving Portugal, mural, 1936. William Cullen Library, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

About this source

What it is

This is a large horizontal mural by John Henry Amshewitz, painted in 1936. It shows a crowned king on a red throne under a banner with a cross, with robed clergy, armoured men, sailors, a kneeling figure and a ship with sails in the background. According to the record, it shows Abraham ben Samuel Zacuto presenting his astronomical tables to da Gama before he left Lisbon in 1497. The mural is held in the William Cullen Library at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Why it matters

The mural places Gama's departure in a crowded court scene. It shows the role of astronomy and of Jewish scholars like Zacuto in the preparation of long sea voyages. Painted in 1936, it also reflects how an artist of that period chose to present the Portuguese past.

Look closer

  • Who is given the central place in the scene, and who stands at the edges?
  • What objects and symbols tell you that the scene is about a royal voyage?
  • Whose contribution to the voyage is shown, and whose is left out?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Vasco da Gama on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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