Gezicht op een water met schepen 1766 - 1824

This hand-colored etching of ships on the water was made by Johann Heinrich Troll around the turn of the 19th century. Looking closely, we can see the directness of the etched line that defines the sails, rigging and hulls, which gives the image a documentary quality. Troll has added watercolor washes to bring the scene to life, with touches of ochre, green, and muted blues to create an atmosphere. The printmaking process itself speaks to the broader social and economic context. Etchings like these could be produced in multiples, and were relatively inexpensive. They speak to a growing appetite for images among the merchant classes, who were eager to consume depictions of their maritime world. In that sense, this print is not just a picture of ships, but also an artifact of the commercial culture that they enabled.