The Shadow of Europe: Theodore de Bry and the Genesis of American Art Theodore de Bry’s name might not be instantly recognizable to the modern art enthusiast, yet his contribution to the visual representation of early America is monumental. Born in 1598 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, de Bry wasn't a painter himself, but rather a prolific engraver and publisher who fundamentally shaped how Europeans understood – and subsequently, repres…