Schip bij een steiger 1620 - 1664

Stefano della Bella made this etching, "Ship by a Pier," sometime in the mid-17th century. It shows a ship heeled over on a beach next to a stone pier, with figures busying themselves around the vessel. Another ship appears to be firing cannons at a structure in the distance. Della Bella was Italian, but he spent almost a decade in Paris working for the print publisher Israel Henriet, and for the French Royal family. His work as a printmaker reflects the interests of these powerful institutions. This print of a ship in what appears to be a war zone, calls to mind the economic and political power struggles between maritime empires like France and the Netherlands at this time. Navies were extremely important for extending dominion and protecting trade. To better understand this etching, a historian might look to period accounts of naval battles, or commissioned prints celebrating military victories. By understanding the context in which the work was made we can better understand how the institution of the monarchy in Europe used art to reinforce its authority.