Franciscan Visions of the Americas: Diego Valadés' Rhetorica Christiana (1579) and its Roman Context

Focusing especially on the etchings with a distinctly narrative aspect and considering the historical circumstances in which the volume was published, this essay explores Valadés’ representation of Indigenous peoples as well as the apologetic function of these images within the context of Gregory XIII’s global politics of conversion and relations with religious orders. When compared to the production of images made in Europe to depict populations and landscapes of the New World, Valadés’ prints ex￾hibit remarkable originality and an iconographic and narrative approach that diverged considerably from the norm.