DESCRIPTION: This rare and decorative antique copper-plate engraving depicts an ordinary French galley (galère, Fr.) under sail in the Mediterranean, the cookstove billowing white smoke slightly aft of midships on the port side.
"Galere a la voille portant l'Estendart de chef d'Escadre" (Galley under sail with the banner of the squadron leader) is one of a series of 17 folio-sized copperplate engravings created ca. 1690 by French galley Captain Henry Sbonski de Passebon. Engraved by Claude Randon, the collection of nautical architecture plates ("Plan de Plusieurs Batiments de Mer et ses proportions") was first published from Marseille where, in the late 17th century the arsenal was home port to the galley service of Louis XIV.
View other Sbonski de Passebon engravings
Sbonski de Passebon was stationed at Marseilles as a Lieutenant in the Corps des Galeres during the period that he produced the drawings from which these antique plates were engraved. His close affiliation with the galley corps resulted in highly detailed renderings that capture the technical flavor of early 18th century seafaring along with the beauty of the nearby Mediterranean shoreline. Within 50 years of the publication of these plates the French Corps des Galeres was disbanded as the galley was no longer a cost-effective means of projecting power.
Attribution at bottom left: "Randon delineauit et sculpsit cura D'ni de Passebon Equitis"
Royal privilege at bottom right: "Marsiliae cum privilegio Regis"
Seller's attribution: "Se vendent a Marseilles chez Laurent Bremond sur le port au Coin de reboul"
This plate has been professionally restored, neutralized, and colored and contains wider margins that those shown.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1690
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: France
BODY OF WATER: 
CONDITION: Good
 On heavy wove paper. Modern color. Strong impression and platemark. Split at centerfold professionally repaired. Some darkening at top half of centerfold. Two vertical folds as issued.
COLORING: Modern hand color.
ENGRAVER: Claude Randon
SIZE: 22
" x
17 "
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 50
PRICE: $2275
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