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Secondary sourceSculpture

Vasco da Gama, medallion in the cloister of Belem

Anonymous

A carved medallion portrait of Vasco da Gama in the Jerónimos cloister, part of a monument built with the wealth his route created.

A carved portrait of da Gama set into the cloister of Jerónimos Monastery, built with the wealth his voyages brought.

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Black and white engraved reproduction of a circular medallion in profile showing a bearded man with curly hair and a wide brimmed hat with wings, set against radiating lines. Caption below reads: Vasco da Gama, From a Contemporary Medallion in the Cloister of Belem.
Vasco da Gama, medallion in the cloister of Belém (engraved reproduction).

About this source

What it is

This is a carved medallion showing a profile portrait of a bearded man in a winged hat, located in the cloister of the Jerónimos Monastery at Belém. The image here is a black-and-white engraved reproduction of the medallion, labelled as showing Vasco da Gama.

Why it matters

The monastery and its decorations were built with wealth generated by Portugal's new sea routes to India, routes opened by da Gama's voyages. Carving his likeness into the building tied his personal achievement to the glory of the whole nation.

Look closer

  • Why would a monastery choose to honour an explorer with a carved portrait?
  • What does the clothing and hat in the image suggest about how da Gama was imagined by later artists?
  • This is a reproduction of the carving, not a photograph of it — how might that change what details we can trust?

This sculpture 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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Painting of an elderly bearded man with white beard and dark beret, wearing a dark robe with brown fur collar and a red cross pendant. He holds a pair of spectacles and a folded handwritten letter against a dark green background.Painting

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Portrait of Vasco da Gama

Anonymous · c. 1525

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.Painting

Secondary source

Vasco da Gama, Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu

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

A black line-drawn autograph signature on white background, with a stylized flourish above and an underline stroke beneath, running across the image from left to right.Document

Secondary source

Signature of Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama

A tall tapering white stone pillar topped with a stone cross stands on a raised circular platform by the sea. Two people sit on a low wall at left, and others sit near the right side under a partly cloudy blue sky.Artifact

Primary source

Vasco da Gama Pillar

1498 or 1499

Hand-painted portolan-style world map on parchment showing the Atlantic, Africa, and parts of Asia and the Americas, with compass roses, rhumb lines, colored flags, and Latin and Portuguese place labels.Document

Primary source

Cantino Planisphere

Anonymous Portuguese cartographer · 1502

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