An Amsterdam Lighter and a Wieringer Lighter

Nooms employed fine etched lines together with drypoint, a method that leaves a burr on the plate and yields a slightly rough, velvety quality. This combination produces intricate detailing of rigging, hulls, and water surface, while the drypoint contributes texture that enhances the naturalistic rendering of the vessels and sky.

The print belongs to a series of maritime etchings Nooms began issuing in the 1650s. These works circulated among artists and collectors, serving as visual references for shipbuilding and seascape conventions of the period. The specific provenance of this impression is not documented beyond its inclusion in the artist’s published series.

During the mid‑17th century, Dutch artists increasingly focused on accurate depictions of ships, reflecting the nation’s dominance in global trade. Nooms, a former sailor turned painter, contributed to this trend by combining his firsthand knowledge of vessels with the precision of printmaking, influencing contemporaries and later marine painters.