Sailing Masterpieces. Ship Design and Aesthetics in the Naval Iconography of the 17th Century

The study concerns the decoration of warships of the 17th century through the naval iconography, with particular reference to England, France and the Dutch Republic. The first part deals with the relationship between shipbuilding and aesthetics, particularly alive at the time, considering its significance from a political point of view and the impact that this had on the life of warships. The second part is the result of a research period at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm and presents the warship Vasa as a case study. The technical analysis of the sculptures starts from a global point of view (relationship between hull and decoration) up to the study of the creation of individual sculptures, allowing a deeper understanding of the decoration visible in contemporary iconography.