A "Watership" Carrying Water for the Salt Works and Another One Carrying Water for the Breweries

Executed with a combination of etching and drypoint, the print displays Nooms’s characteristic precision. Etching provides the fine, controlled lines that define the hulls, rigging, and distant horizon, while drypoint adds richer, velvety strokes that accentuate shadows and texture on the water’s surface. The use of laid paper contributes a subtle tooth, enhancing the contrast between crisp outlines and softer tonal areas.

The etching dates to around 1653, a period when Nooms was establishing his reputation for detailed maritime scenes. Though the original ownership trail is not fully documented, prints of this type were commonly circulated among collectors and merchants in the Dutch Golden Age, suggesting the image may have served both decorative and informational purposes.

Nooms worked at a time when Amsterdam’s ports were bustling hubs of trade and industry. His focus on ordinary vessels contrasts with the grand naval battles favored by many contemporaries, offering a more grounded view of the city’s waterborne infrastructure. This perspective aligns with a broader 17th‑century Dutch interest in topographical accuracy and the everyday workings of urban life.