Portret van W.T. Block - Cornelis Ploos van Amstel

A 1775 portrait of VOC shipwright W.T. Block by Cornelis Ploos van Amstel, rendered in a delicate, sketch-like etching style.

This portrait depicts W.T. Block, a master shipwright for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in Amsterdam. Executed by Cornelis Ploos van Amstel in 1775, the work employs a delicate, linear style characteristic of the artist's experiments with printmaking techniques. Ploos van Amstel was known for his efforts to replicate the appearance of drawings through complex etching and roulette processes, aiming to capture the immediacy of a sketch.

The subject is shown in profile, facing left, with his hair tied back in a style typical of the period. The line work is restrained, focusing on the contours of the face and the simple clothing of the shipwright. Below the portrait, the print includes a detailed inscription that identifies the sitter, his profession, and the VOC emblem. The text notes that Block was born in Zaandam on 31 May 1684 and was overseeing his 154th ship on 8 May 1775. This inclusion of biographical data transforms the image into a historical document, recording the life of a skilled craftsman during the height of Dutch maritime commerce.

Ploos van Amstel was a significant figure in the eighteenth-century Dutch art world, not only as a collector but as an innovator in graphic arts. His prints often served to document the people and trades of his time with precision. The monochromatic, reddish-brown tone of the ink mimics the appearance of red chalk drawings, a medium favoured by artists for its warmth and versatility. This print offers a clear view into the professional life of an Amsterdam shipwright, preserved through the technical skill of one of the Netherlands' most dedicated printmakers.