A detailed seventeenth-century etching by Albert Flamen, depicting a catch of sardines on a busy shoreline with fishing vessels in the background.

This etching, titled Sarda, La Sardine, is a work by the Dutch artist Albert Flamen. Flamen was active in Paris during the mid-seventeenth century and gained recognition for his detailed depictions of fish and marine life. This print belongs to a series documenting various species, often combining scientific observation with the atmospheric qualities of a coastal scene.

The composition places a cluster of sardines in the immediate foreground, rendered with precise hatching to capture the texture of their scales and the curvature of their bodies. Beyond this still life, the scene opens to a busy shoreline. Small fishing vessels are moored in the shallow water, while figures work on the beach, engaged in the daily labour of the maritime trade. The background features a calm sea and distant hills, providing a sense of scale and environment.

Flamen employs a refined etching technique, using varied line weights to distinguish between the solid forms of the fish and the lighter, more ethereal qualities of the sky and water. The inclusion of the Latin and French titles, Sarda and La Sardine, along with the phrase cum priuil. Regis, indicates that this print was produced with royal privilege, a common practice for artists seeking to protect their work from unauthorised copying during this period. The work reflects the interest of the era in natural history and the documentation of the natural world. It serves as a record of seventeenth-century fishing practices and the aesthetic conventions of the time, where the study of nature was frequently integrated into broader artistic compositions.