Zeilschip met vier figuren 1764 - 1826

Gerrit Groenewegen created this print called 'Zeilschip met vier figuren', or 'Sailing ship with four figures', using etching and paper. Consider the era in which Groenewegen lived. He was a contemporary of the Dutch Enlightenment, when society's elite began to question traditional hierarchies. Groenewegen produced many images of ships, but they were rarely commissioned by the ship's captains themselves. Rather, they were purchased by merchants and traders. The men in the boat seem to be working. This image then speaks to commerce, not only in the sense of the trade happening on these ships, but also in the sense of who has the ability to purchase and own this image. It prompts us to think about what it meant to participate in the maritime economy of the 18th century. It brings a face to the labor required to propel global trade.