Title Page: Fishing Boats and Staten Sloop
c. 1656
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 13.2 × 20.5 cm (5 3/16 × 8 1/16 in.) sheet: 14.5 × 21.7 cm (5 11/16 × 8 9/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dr. Klaus Anselm
Accession Number
2018.28.1
Art Historical Context
**Title Page: Fishing Boats and Staten Sloop** by Reinier Nooms, known as Zeeman (c. 1623–1664), captures the bustling maritime world of the Dutch Golden Age around 1656. This etching on laid paper, measuring a modest 13.2 × 20.5 cm, serves as a title page, likely introducing a series of marine prints that showcase Nooms' expertise in depicting ships and harbors. Zeeman, whose nickname means "sailor," drew from his own seafaring experiences to create vivid scenes of everyday naval life, blending technical accuracy with lively energy. Created during the Netherlands' peak as a seafaring powerho...
About the Artist
Reinier Nooms, called Zeeman
Reinier Nooms, known as Zeeman ("sailor" in Dutch), was a prominent Dutch maritime painter, draftsman, and etcher of the Golden Age, born around 1623 or 1624 in Amsterdam and dying there in 1664 at about age 40. Before turning to art around 1643, he led a rough life as a professional seaman, which informed his unparalleled accuracy in depicting ships, ports, naval battles, and coastal scenes—knowl...