Two Gelleys sailing behind an armed Three-Master with Phaeton and Jupiter in the Sky

Details

Bastelaer 106 I (von II); Hollstein (nach P. Bruegel) 106; Klein 16; The New Hollstein: 70 I (von II).

Description

Sheet 9 from the set of warships in a very good, velvety deep black and finely drawn in all details early impression of the rare first state. Even before the later added signature “F.H. Bruegel” in the cartouche lower left and before the number. With the narrow blank margin at the bottom.
At the centre of the composition is a three-master, seen from behind, framed by two galleys. The vertical central axis is emphasised by the high mast and leads into a dramatic scene. Phaeton has borrowed his father Helios’ sun chariot to drive across the firmament. But the horse and cart gets out of control and Zeus, the father of the gods, suddenly intervenes to bring the reckless young man down. Like the fall of Icarus, this scene can be understood as a warning against one’s own hubris – in this case, figuratively speaking, against long voyages on the high seas. With a wide margin around the platemark. – Verso slightly darkened and with a few brown stains. Unobtrusively marginalised at the upper and left edge. Two vertical, smoothed creases. The lower edge with carefully closed paper defects. A small repair to the centre of the image on the verso, otherwise still a good copy. Rare!