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Secondary sourcePaintingc. 1565

Vasco da Gama, Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu

Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu (compiler unknown) · c. 1565

An illuminated portrait of da Gama as admiral and viceroy from a mid-16th-century compendium of Portuguese fleets.

This illuminated portrait fixed da Gama's lasting image as admiral and viceroy of Portuguese India.

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Painted portrait of a bearded man in a black cloak and black hat, holding a staff in his left hand and a sword hilt at his waist. Behind him is a shield with red and white stripes and a Portuguese coat of arms. The gold-colored inscription at top reads Dovasço da Gama Visoreie Comde.
Portrait of Vasco da Gama, from the Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu, c. 1565. Pierpont Morgan Library, M.525.

About this source

What it is

This painted portrait of Vasco da Gama comes from the Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu, a compendium of around 1565 recording Portuguese armadas. It shows da Gama in a black cloak and hat, holding a staff and sword, with a shield bearing the Portuguese coat of arms behind him. An inscription names him Admiral and Count. The manuscript is held at the Pierpont Morgan Library.

Why it matters

Made decades after da Gama's death, this portrait fixed the image of him as a powerful admiral and viceroy of Portuguese India, reflecting how Portugal wanted to remember the man who opened its sea route to Asia. It shows how later generations used portraiture to build a national hero out of a historical figure.

Look closer

  • What symbols of power and rank can you find in this image, and what do they tell you?
  • Why might this portrait have been included in a record of Portuguese fleets rather than a personal biography?
  • How does this image compare with other portraits of da Gama made at different times?

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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