Unknown

Two naval images depicting 17th century warships

1950

Engraving with extensive handcoloring, on laid paper with a Fleur de Lys watermark, with margins. Plate 11 13/16 x 15 3/4 (300 x 400 mm); Sheet: 12 1/2 x 16 3/8 inches (317 x 415 mm)...

A busy 18th century river scene along Amsterdam's waterfront. One etching from the series of 10 lively nautical scenes entitled Seascapes. This image depicts six vessels, from left ...

Title: The Capture of Two Spanish Admiral Ships by the Fleet of the Dutch West India Company under Admiral Pieter Adriaensz Ita, 1628 Description: This mid-17th century engraving, c...

Combat Naval dans le Golfe de Venise – Rare Optical Print of the Venetian Victory over the Turks, circa 1770 This rare and vividly hand-colored 18th-century 'vue d’optique' titled 'Combat naval dans le Golfe de Venise gagné par les Vénitiens sur les Turcs le 29 may 1749' portrays the dramatic naval engagement between Venetian and Ottoman forces in the Gulf of Venice. Published anonymously around 1770 and engraved with both French and contemporary Dutch captions, this optical print commemorates the final large-scale clashes between two former Mediterranean naval superpowers. The scene is packed with explosive detail. On the left, Venetian galleons fly red flags and dominate the composition, their cannon smoke billowing across the water. Soldiers and sailors tumble into the sea or scramble into longboats, while others engage in intense shipboard combat. To the right, the Ottoman fleet, also with full sails and ornate sterns, exchanges fire from a line of vessels that extends toward the hazy horizon. The turbulent sea, streaked with swimmers, debris, and gunfire, draws the viewer's eye toward the vanishing point, a classic technique in *vues d’optique* designed to create depth when viewed through a zograscope. The perspective is exaggerated and theatrical, heightening the tension of the moment. The hand coloring, still strong and fresh, adds to the dramatic impact—especially the reds, blues, and blacks used to signify uniforms, flames, and flags. Above the scene, a reversed French title along the top border is a hallmark of optical prints, meant to appear legible when viewed through mirrored optical devices. The lower margin features a printed French description and a carefully penned Dutch caption in brown ink, adding provenance and local historical context for a Dutch-speaking audience. These types of naval battle scenes are among the most collectable of optical prints, especially when they depict rare or less frequently recorded events such as this Turkish-Venetian engagement, which helped mark the waning of Ottoman influence in the Adriatic. Keywords: Venetian naval battle print, Ottoman fleet, vue d’optique maritime, 18th-century naval...