Artwork
The Launch of a Galleon
The Launch of a Galleon is a drawing by the Baroque artist Filippo Napoletano. It dates from 1620 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The drawing records the launch of a large galleon from the arsenal at Livorno.
About this work
Overview
The drawing records the launch of a large galleon from the arsenal at Livorno. Executed with pen, brown wash, and black chalk, the image captures the vessel as it slides down a slipway into the water, framed by the high walls of the shipyard.
Subject & Meaning
Figures are shown operating windlasses and handling ropes, guiding the ship’s descent while barrels are tied beneath the hull for balance. Smaller boats drift nearby and onlookers gather along the shore, emphasizing the communal effort and spectacle of a naval launch in early‑modern Tuscany.
Technique & Style
The artist employs rapid, sketchy lines and cross‑hatching to suggest movement and depth, while the brown wash adds tonal variation. The paper’s warm, aged tone reinforces the historical atmosphere of the scene.
History & Provenance
Long attributed to Stefano della Bella, scholarly reassessment now credits the work to Filippo Napoletano, an early‑17th‑century draughtsman known for documenting maritime activity in the Tuscan region.
Context
The drawing reflects the importance of shipbuilding to Livorno’s economy and its role as a naval hub during the period. The depiction of the launch process provides visual insight into contemporary shipyard practices and the scale of galleon construction.
Artist & collection
Artist
Filippo Napoletano, whose real name was Filippo Teodoro di Liagno was an Italian artist, with a varied output, mainly landscape and genre scenes and also drawings or etchings of diverse, often particular, items such as…
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