Capsizing Warships – Hand-Colored Etching of Schouten’s East Indian Voyage, 1676

Maritime · 17th century

Capsizing Warships – Hand-Colored Etching of Schouten’s East Indian Voyage, 1676

€ 370

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Date: 1676
Mapmaker / artist: Anonymous engraver after Wouter Schouten, published by Jacob van Meurs and Johannes van Someren, Amsterdam, 1676
Technique: Hand-colored etching on laid paper
Sheet size: 21 × 16 cm (8.3 × 6.3 in)
Condition: Good
Reference: BG-06926

What the condition grades mean

Excellent: Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good: Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good: Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair: Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

Condition

Strong impression with later hand-coloring. Light age toning and a few small handling marks, faint plate mark visible.

About this sheet

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.

Framing tips: A dark oak or black wood frame with a pale mat enhances the strong contrast and maritime drama.