Sails and a Vista

Curatorial Overview

“This dramatically framed image captures the scale of marine vessels. Sharp masts direct the viewer’s gaze toward the ornate bow that looms over the top of the composition. A large sail obscures the right-hand side of the image, making the clear sky appear even brighter. Figures in the foreground appear miniscule next to the grand ships. Peets traveled around Europe extensively, making it difficult to identify this port. However, it is possible that his inspiration was Porto, Portugal, the location of many of his other engravings during this period.”