Artwork
Calm Sea
Calm Sea is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Hendrik Willem Mesdag. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Calm Sea is an oil painting executed in 1890 by Dutch marine artist Hendrik Willem Mesdag. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and portrays a tranquil harbor scene in which three vessels rest on a smooth, green‑tinged water surface under a pale sky.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a dark, net‑covered boat positioned in the foreground, accompanied by a smaller sailboat farther out. A solitary figure stands in the shallow water near the larger vessel, clutching a rope, suggesting a moment of quiet labor within an otherwise still environment.
Technique & Style
Mesdag employs loose, fluid brushwork to convey the subtle motion of water and sky, while rendering the boats with sharper, more defined strokes. The palette is restrained, dominated by muted blues and greens that blend softly, reinforcing the painting’s serene atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Created toward the end of Mesdag’s career, Calm Sea was later acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display. Its presence in the national collection underscores the artist’s reputation for documenting Dutch maritime life in the late nineteenth century.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Sunset at Scheveningen: A Fleet of Fishing Vessels at Anchor
Fishing Boats from Scheveningen Anchored
De vuurtoren van Scheveningen
Untitled
Zee met schepen
Boten op het strand bij Scheveningen
Fishing Pinks in Breaking Waves
Menno David Graaf van Limburg Stirum (1807–1891). Adjudant des konings, luitenant-generaal