Een Frans drie-deks oorlogsschip met volle zeilen Possibly 1770 - 1779

This watercolor and pen drawing depicts a French three-deck warship, sails billowing, by Johannes Swertner. The composition focuses on the ship, centrally positioned, its detailed rigging creating a complex network of lines against the muted sky. Swertner uses the ship's form to investigate line and depth. The vessel is captured sailing from right to left. It’s sails, heavy with wind, are a study in curvilinear forms, contrasting with the ship’s strong, horizontal lines and the verticality of its masts. Color is understated, with the grey tones of the sea and sky emphasizing the warship, and the light reflecting off the sails. Swertner presents a study in the structure of naval power. The precise detailing reveals an interest in the mechanics of the ship itself, yet the ship's grandeur hints at France's naval strength. This use of scale and detail invites us to consider how representations of power function through both aesthetic and documentary means.