The desire to travel to destinations near and far, explore new lands, establish contacts, do trade or conquer other territories has been an inherent part of human history. Ships have always been among the most important means of transportation. Due to their appealing shapes and an aura of latent adventure, ships have been a favourite and frequent theme throughout the history of art.
Wenceslaus Hollar (Prague 1607 – London 1677) was one of those artists who achieved recognition for his views of ships. He sailed rivers and seas many times during his life. Some of his series of ships are well known and greatly popular, but sailing craft also appeared in his numerous landscape engravings. Hollar's ships in a storm and his set of merchant vessels in Antwerp and elsewhere are particularly famous. These motifs accompanied him throughout his artistic career. Presented here is a small selection of the artist's rich ship-themed graphic work housed in the collections of the National Gallery in Prague.
