A seventeenth-century etching by Jacques van Merlen, featuring a decorative border of marine life and a fishing net surrounding a central seascape.

This etching by Jacques van Merlen serves as a title page or frontispiece for the 'Seconde partie de Poissons de Mer', a series originally designed and etched by Albert Flamen. Van Merlen, a publisher and engraver active in Paris, produced this work during the mid-seventeenth century. The composition features a central cartouche containing the title, framed by a decorative border of marine creatures and a fishing net.

The visual arrangement is characteristic of Baroque printmaking, where naturalistic observation of aquatic life is combined with formal, ornamental framing. Two large, eel-like fish dominate the sides of the frame, their bodies intertwined with the mesh of a fishing net that arches over the top. Below, a small heraldic shield sits at the base, providing a grounding element to the composition. Through the central opening, a serene seascape is visible, featuring a small sailing vessel on the water, which provides a sense of scale and atmosphere.

The line work is precise, utilising the etching process to capture the textures of the fish scales, the fine weave of the net, and the gentle ripples of the sea. Van Merlen's technical skill is evident in the way he balances the dense, decorative border with the open, airy space of the central view. This print reflects the period's fascination with natural history and the systematic documentation of marine life, presented here with the stylistic flourishes typical of seventeenth-century European print culture. The work remains a fine example of the collaborative nature of print production during this era, where publishers often commissioned or adapted works from other artists to create cohesive series for collectors and naturalists.