Port of Rochefort

Title: Le Port de Rochefort

After Joseph Vernet (1714–1789)

Engraved by: Charles-Nicolas Cochin (1715–1790) and Jacques-Philippe Le Bas (1707–1783)

Published: 18th century

Medium: Engraving on paper

Dimensions: 48 x 74 cm

Condition: Very good, small spot in title

VAT: Margingoods

This finely detailed engraving, after the celebrated French painter Joseph Vernet, depicts the bustling naval port of Rochefort during the 18th century. Commissioned as part of Vernet’s ambitious series ‘Les Ports de France’, the image captures both the grandeur of maritime commerce and the everyday labor of dockside life. The harbor is alive with activity: ships under sail, longshoremen at work, and elegant buildings of the Arsenal in the background — all rendered with meticulous attention to atmospheric detail and perspective.

Executed by master engravers Charles-Nicolas Cochin and Jacques-Philippe Le Bas, this print was part of an official royal project initiated by King Louis XV, aiming to celebrate France’s naval prowess and coastal industry. The scene is framed under dramatic skies, reinforcing Vernet’s reputation as a virtuoso of maritime and meteorological effects.

An important document of both artistic and historical value, this engraving is a testament to the Enlightenment era’s fascination with progress, empire, and the sublime power of nature.