Drottningskär and Kungsholm Forts — Aveelen

A detailed maritime view of the twin Karlskrona sea forts of Drottningskär and Kungsholm, paired with naval shipping in the Baltic.

Original Latin titles: Castellum maritimum DROTTINGSKIÆR versus occasum and Castellum DROTTINGSKIÆR versus ortus. Engraved by Johannes van den Aveelen. From Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna. Published in Stockholm, 1710.

Drottningskär and Kungsholm guarded the approaches to Karlskrona, the new naval base founded by Charles XI in 1680 to project Swedish power across the Baltic. Aveelen's pair of views, plate-mounted side by side, emphasises the strategic geometry of Erik Dahlbergh's fortifications, then among the most advanced in northern Europe.

Copperplate engraving. Very Good.