Titelprent met vissersboot 1747 - 1813

Pierre Ozanne made this etching of a fishing boat sometime between 1750 and 1800. Ozanne was a French marine engineer, draughtsman, and engraver working in a period when European states were investing heavily in their navies. The image appears to have been made for a book, journal, or some other kind of illustrated publication. The inscription on the sail seems to be a title, and it includes the word ‘Cahier,’ or notebook. The word ‘mélanges’ suggests a collection of different kinds of boats. This may be part of a series of prints that document different types of boats and naval technology. The image gives us a look at the visual culture surrounding France’s maritime expansion. To learn more, one could look at maritime museums, libraries, and archives. In understanding this image, the social and institutional context is everything.