Clash of the ships Régente and Belle-Cordelière at Primoguet, 1513

This engraving, titled “Clash of the ships Régente and Belle-Cordelière at Primoguet, 1513,” depicts a spectacular naval confrontation between the Belle-Cordelière and the Régente off the coast of Brittany, in the context of the maritime wars of the early sixteenth century. The composition shows the ships caught in a violent melee, surrounded by smoke, flames, and explosions, while boats and shipwrecked figures appear in the foreground. The image emphasizes the brutality of the clash and the dramatic nature of a battle that remained famous in French historical memory. Created in the nineteenth century and circulated within the tradition of historical illustration, this work gives spectacular form to one of the great naval episodes of the French past.