Zeeslag bij Doggersbank, 1781 1781 - 1784

Cornelis Bogerts created this print of the naval battle at Dogger's Bank in 1781. The composition is dominated by a central cluster of ships engulfed in smoke, contrasted by a calmer sea and sky around them. Bogerts uses line and tonal variation to create depth and dynamism. The detailed rendering of the ships suggests an ordered, structured conflict, yet the billowing smoke introduces chaos. Semiotically, ships represent power and trade, while smoke implies destruction and conflict. The scene oscillates between these signs, creating a tension that destabilizes any singular meaning. The structure of the print—the defined lines of the ships against the diffuse smoke—reflects a historical moment where order and chaos, strategy and chance, were in constant interplay. It reminds us that even seemingly clear images are always open to interpretation.