Lot Essay
The Dutch inscription explains that the chart refers to the water tides of the Maas and Goereese Gat waterways in the Netherlands. The precise calculations and description were most likely intended for use by sailors. The drawing is related to a printed version of the table by Jan Caspar Philips (1736-1775), which presents an architectural frame adorned with coat of arms featuring the Dutch lion, Neptune, and a river god (fig. 1; inv. RP-P-1906-1886, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam). The charming scene with fishermen and sailors drawn below the chart does not appear in the printed version.
Fig. 1. Jan Caspar Philips, Table with the water tides of the Maas and the Goereese Gat. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Fig. 1. Jan Caspar Philips, Table with the water tides of the Maas and the Goereese Gat. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.