Four-Master and Two Three-Masters Anchored near a Fortified Island with a Lighthouse, from The Sailing Vessels
c. 1560–62, published 1665
Medium
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
22.2 × 28.8 cm (8 3/4 × 11 3/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
45453
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The impressive detail and accuracy of the ships represented in this engraving suggest that Bruegel probably made studies of vessels in the Antwerp harbor. He carefully renders the intricacy of rigging, the geometry of masts, and curved hulls. Bruegel’s interest in such vessels belonged to a wider fascination among Antwerp citizens with the shipping trade and naval power that had become so central to the city’s booming economy. Residents of this maritime hub took great pride in the engineering of...