Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Petrus Plancius Instructing Students in the Science of Navigation

David Vinckboons Netherlandish
early 17th century
Not on view
In an artificially lit room, a group of scholars and fishermen study globes and maps using a variety of scientific instruments. In the background hangs what appears to be a tapestry depicting a naval battle, flanked by statues of Neptune to the right and Aeolus, god of the winds, to the left. The drawing was engraved in reverse as the frontispiece of the maritime atlas Het licht der zee-vaert (The Light of Sea-Faring), first published in Amsterdam in 1608. Vinckboons made several designs for maps published by the most prominent cartographers of Amsterdam. The bearded man in the middle instructing the group of students has sometimes been identified as Petrus Plancius, or Pieter Platevoet, one of the most prominent Dutch astronomers and cartographers of his time, who was also portrayed by Vinckboons in his capacity as Protestant preacher.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Petrus Plancius Instructing Students in the Science of Navigation
  • Artist: David Vinckboons (Netherlandish, Mechelen 1576–1629 Amsterdam)
  • Date: early 17th century
  • Medium: Black and brown ink and wash
  • Dimensions: sheet: 10 1/4 x 11 1/4 in. (26 x 28.6 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Frits and Rita Markus Fund, 2003
  • Object Number: 2003.4
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
Summer, David Vinckboons Netherlandish, Etching
Summer
After David Vinckboons
Artist and publisher Hessel Gerritsz
1610
Soprano Recorder in B, Thomas Coenraet Boekhout Dutch, Ebony, ivory, Dutch
Soprano Recorder in B
Thomas Coenraet Boekhout
ca. 1700
The Parade, Si Lewen American, Manufactured charcoal, pencil, crayon, ink, scratching, and hand applied gesso on paperboard
The Parade
Si Lewen
ca. 1950
Winter, David Vinckboons Netherlandish, Etching
Winter
After David Vinckboons
Artist and publisher Hessel Gerritsz
1610
Shaffron (Horse's Head Defense), Steel, gold, leather, Dutch
Shaffron (Horse's Head Defense)
Dutch
ca. 1620

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.