Antique Print of the Exploding of the 'Alphen' in the Harbor of Curacao, 1779

The destruction of the Dutch warship Alphen in the harbor of Curacao, an original copper engraving lettered "Het Springen van 's Landsch Oorlog Schip Alphen, in de Haven van Curacao, gecommandeerd door den Weledelen Gestrengen Heer Kapitein G.W.H. van der Feltz, op den 15 September 1778". It was made by J. Allard after J. Punt.

The scene is dominated by the explosion at its center, where the ship is blown apart in a huge burst of fire and smoke, with spars, timbers and bodies flung into the air. Other ships stand on either side, crowded with figures, and a windmill rises at the right. In the foreground, boats full of survivors struggle among the waves, and men on the shore, with a gun carriage and broken timbers beside them, look on.

Captain van der Feltz died with his crew, and only 28 people survived the loss. The sheet is a dramatic piece of Dutch naval history in the Caribbean, made soon after the event and prepared by Jan Punt, who worked as an engraver, painter and actor.