Engraving “the Port Of Roscof, As Seen From Porsglafse” – 18th Century

Original etching on laid paper.

Hand-colored with watercolors.

The print features a panoramic view of the port of ROSCOFF. Numerous sailboats, rowboats, and merchant ships fill the harbor, some at anchor, while an imposing ship with partially unfurled sails dominates the left side of the scene. In the distance, the houses of Roscoff are visible, lined up along the shore and dominated by the town’s bell tower. On the right, a stone pier marks the entrance to the harbor and draws the eye toward the sea. The foreground is filled with figures—horsemen, peasants, shepherds, and animals—evoking daily life and the interactions between the rural world and maritime activity of the time.

According to Nicolas-Marie Ozanne, born in Brest in 1728 and died in Paris in 1811, was a French draftsman and naval engineer. A member of the Académie de Marine, he devoted a large part of his work to depicting ships, maritime maneuvers, and French ports. His drawings, which are highly precise and particularly vivid, now serve as a valuable record of the 18th-century French navy.

Engraved by Yves-Marie Le GPOUAZ, born in Brest in 1742 and died in Paris in 1816, was a French engraver and a student of Nicolas-Marie Ozanne and later of Jacques Aliamet. Appointed engraver to the Academy of Sciences in 1770, he produced numerous maritime compositions. In particular, he engraved an important series of views of French ports based on Ozanne’s drawings.

Dimensions: Frame: Length 39.6 cm - Height 34.2 cm, Molding: 3 cm,
Condition: PERFECT CONDITION,
Period: Engraving(s):  SECOND HALF of the 18th century (1776),
Frame(s): CURRENT - Composed of a bevel with an aged gold finish and a salmon-pink moiré mat. The entire piece is set in a gilded wooden frame, richly adorned with reliefs and foliage motifs, also enhanced with an aged gold finish.