Zeilschip van dichtbij gezien 1738 - 1811

Nicolas Marie Ozanne made this etching, "Zeilschip van dichtbij gezien" or "Sailing Ship Seen Up Close", which shows a brigantine sailing ship on what appears to be a breezy day. Ozanne lived during a time when maritime power defined global politics, and France was a major player in naval exploration and warfare. This artwork reminds us that the ship is not just a vessel; it is a microcosm of society. On board, hierarchies of power played out daily, shaping the lives and experiences of those who sailed. These ships were also instrumental in the transatlantic slave trade, linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas in a complex web of commerce, exploitation, and resistance. Ozanne, who was the son of a naval engineer, shows us the ship as a feat of engineering, but perhaps also a testament to human ambition, a symbol of both progress and profound ethical challenges.