A detailed 1777 etching by Carl Wilhelm Weisbrod, depicting a quiet harbour scene with a ruined tower and sailing vessels.

This etching, titled Petit Port près de Rotterdam, dates to 1777. It is the work of the German engraver Carl Wilhelm Weisbrod, who was active in Paris during the late eighteenth century. The composition is based on a drawing by the Austrian artist Franz Edmund Weirotter, whose name appears in the lower left corner of the plate. The print depicts a tranquil maritime scene, featuring a ruined stone tower situated on a small promontory. In the foreground, figures gather near a wooden jetty, while sailing vessels are moored in the calm water. The artist employs precise hatching and cross-hatching techniques to define the textures of the stone masonry, the rippling water, and the atmospheric clouds above. The inclusion of a small boat and distant figures provides a sense of scale and human activity within the quiet coastal setting. The print includes the publication details for Basan and Poignant, a prominent Parisian print-selling firm of the period, located at the Hôtel Serpente. This work reflects the eighteenth-century interest in picturesque views and the reproduction of topographical drawings for a wider audience. The etching demonstrates the technical proficiency required to translate the tonal qualities of a wash or ink drawing into a linear medium. The balance between the architectural elements and the natural environment is characteristic of the period's approach to maritime subjects, where ruins often served as romanticised markers of time and history. The print remains a clear example of the collaborative nature of printmaking in the late eighteenth century, where the roles of the draughtsman and the engraver were distinct yet complementary.