Two Galleys Sailing Behind an Armed Three-Master with Phaeton and Jupiter in the Sky, from the series of Ships
Medium
Engraving; first state of two
Dimensions
sheet: 10 1/4 x 13 1/2 in. (26.1 x 34.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1928
Accession Number
28.4(8)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking engraving, created between 1561 and 1565, showcases the collaborative artistry of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, engraver Frans Huys, and publisher Hieronymus Cock. Part of Bruegel’s celebrated “Ships” series, the work captures a dramatic maritime scene featuring two galleys trailing an imposing armed three-master, while the mythological figures of Phaeton and Jupiter appear dramatically in the sky above. Produced as a print during the height of the Age of Exploration, it reflects Europe’s growing fascination with naval power and seafaring adventures. Bruegel, renowned for his detail...