Aankondiging van de uitgave van de drie platen van het hoekerschip Vrouw Machtelyna 1782

This is an advertisement printed by Jan Willem Smit in Amsterdam, announcing the publication of three prints related to the naval vessel "Vrouw Machtelyna." The text describes three scenes of naval conflict involving the ship. The detailed descriptions suggest a public interest in naval affairs and perhaps a sense of national pride or even political propaganda. It also gives us a glimpse into the economic structures that supported artistic production. Note that the prints are offered for sale, with different prices for proof prints and lettered versions. The inclusion of artists' names, P.M. la Cave and K.F. Bendorp, indicates a system of artistic labor and attribution. To understand this image better, a historian might research Dutch naval history, the political context of the time, and the economics of printmaking in 18th-century Amsterdam. This advertisement is a reminder that art is always embedded in a specific social and institutional context.