Capriccio View of a Mediterranean Port
17th century
Medium
Graphite, pen and brown ink, brush and gray ink
Dimensions
sheet: 4 7/16 x 10 9/16 in. (11.3 x 26.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, 2004
Accession Number
2004.262
Tags
Art Historical Context
Bonaventura Peeters I’s “Capriccio View of a Mediterranean Port” captures the imaginative spirit 17th-century marine drawing. Created with graphite pen, and brush in delicate layers of brown and gray ink, the small sheet depicts an invented harbor bustling with ships. The term “capriccio” signals that this is a fanciful scene rather than a literal record, allowing Peeters to blend architectural motifs and maritime activity into a harmonious, atmospheric composition. Peeters, a Flemish artist renowned for his seascapes, worked during a period when European ports were vital centers of trade and...