An eighteenth-century view of the Dutch island of Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean. The beautifully colored German gravure depicts the brief capture of the island by the British in 1781 during the American War of Independence. The British forces, commanded by Admiral Rodney and General Vaughn, plundered the island — one of the wealthiest and strategically important trading centers in the Caribbean at the time. The two commanders were criticized in Britain for looting the island, and were later accused in Parliament of embezzlement. Ten months after the British invasion, French forces re-captured St. Eustatius and returned it to the Dutch. Throughout its colonial history, the island nicknamed “the Golden Rock” has changed hands 22 times.
Title in French: St. Eustache une des Isles d’Antilles dans l’Amerique du Nord la quelle fut prise aux Hollandois en 1781 par les Anglois. Grave par Bergmüller; (St. Eustatius one of the Antillean Islands in North America which was taken from the Dutch in 1781 by the English. Engraved by Bergmüller)
Title in German: St. Eustache eine der Antillischen insuln in Nord-America welche 1781 von den Engelländern, erobert und denen Holländern abgenomen worden. Subtitle: Collection des Prospects
Title above the image, “St. Eustache une des Isles d’Antilles”, is printed in reverse. This vue d’optique (perspective view), was a special type of popular print published in Europe during the late 18th and early 19th century. The prints were viewed through a zograscope, also known as “optical diagonal machine”.
• Antique view of the island of Sint Eustatius (Statia), ca. 1781, Johann Baptist Bergmüller, Revolutionary War Era
• Fine Art Premium Giclée (Gouttelette) Print (100% cotton 340 gsm, watercolor textured fine art paper)
• Made in USA