Maritime · 17th century
€ 370
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
strong impression with later hand-coloring. Light age toning and a few small handling marks, faint plate mark visible.
Capsizing Warships – Hand-Colored Etching from Wouter Schouten’s East Indian Voyage, 1676
Dramatic 17th-century hand-colored etching depicting the wreck of capsizing warships amid stormy seas, with sailors struggling to survive among the wreckage. The print was published in Amsterdam in 1676 by Jacob van Meurs and Johannes van Someren as part of Oost-Indische Voyagie (East Indian Voyage), written by Wouter Schouten.
The scene is engraved with striking energy: two large Dutch ships overturn in violent waves, their decks breaking apart while sailors cling desperately to debris. Billowing smoke and crashing surf heighten the sense of catastrophe. In the distance, smaller vessels attempt a rescue, while a few survivors fight to stay afloat. The engraving captures both the peril and heroism of maritime exploration during the Dutch Golden Age.
Wouter Schouten (1638–1704) was a Dutch surgeon who sailed with the VOC (Dutch East India Company) to the East Indies in the 1650s. His richly illustrated travel account, first published in 1676, provided vivid depictions of sea voyages, shipwrecks, and encounters with exotic lands. The engravings, largely executed in Amsterdam under the direction of Jacob van Meurs, are among the most dramatic maritime images of the 17th century.
This plate, numbered 68, comes from the original 1676 edition, where it served as an illustration of a disastrous shipwreck during one of Schouten’s East Indian expeditions. The dynamic composition, typical of Van Meurs’s workshop, blends technical precision with theatrical intensity.
A powerful and collectible image from the Dutch Age of Exploration, emblematic of the dangers faced by VOC sailors on their voyages to Asia.
Condition: Good, strong impression with later hand-coloring. Light age toning and a few small handling marks, faint plate mark visible.
Framing tips: A dark oak or black wood frame with a pale mat enhances the strong contrast and maritime drama.
Technique: Hand-colored etching on laid paper
Maker: Anonymous engraver after Wouter Schouten, published by Jacob van Meurs and Johannes van Someren, Amsterdam, 1676
