Artwork
Rough sea with a Dutch yacht under sail
Rough sea with a Dutch yacht under sail is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Ludolf Bakhuizen. It dates from 1698 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Ludolf Bakhuizen’s 1698 oil painting captures a storm‑tossed sea in which a Dutch sailing yacht struggles against towering waves.
Ludolf Bakhuizen’s 1698 oil painting captures a storm‑tossed sea in which a Dutch sailing yacht struggles against towering waves. The composition places the yacht toward the right, its canvas billowing, while a smaller boat in the foreground is rocked violently, its occupants clinging to the rigging. The work exemplifies the artist’s lifelong preoccupation with maritime subjects during the Dutch Golden Age.
Subject & Meaning
The scene presents a realistic portrayal of a vessel confronting nature’s force, reflecting the precarious relationship between Dutch commerce and the sea that sustained it. By juxtaposing the sturdy yacht with a vulnerable smaller craft, Bakhuizen underscores both the resilience of Dutch maritime engineering and the ever‑present danger of the waters that linked the Republic to the wider world.
Technique & Style
Bakhuizen employs a dramatic chiaroscuro, letting deep, shadowy crests of water contrast sharply with a lighter, cloud‑streaked sky, thereby enhancing the sense of depth. His brushwork is vigorous, with swift, textured strokes that convey the frothing surf and the tension of the sails. The palette of muted blues, grays, and ochres reinforces the turbulent atmosphere without sacrificing detail.
History & Provenance
Created in 1698, the painting emerged after Bakhuizen had succeeded the van de Velde family as the Netherlands’ foremost marine painter, following their relocation to England in 1672. The work entered the Rijksmuseum’s collection, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of Dutch Golden Age art, illustrating Bakhuizen’s pivotal role in 17th‑century seascape painting.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Ludolf Bakhuizen (28 December 1630 or 1632 – 7 November 1708) was a German-born Dutch painter, draughtsman, calligrapher and printmaker.
An artist in his studio, painting the portrait of a lady
An extensive seascape with figures by a boat on a shore near Huisduinen
Dutch ships in the roads of Texel; in the middle the 'Gouden Leeuw,' the flagship of Cornelis Tromp
The Bakhuysen and de Hooghe Families dining at the Mosselsteiger (Mussel Pier) on the Y, Amsterdam
The Y at Amsterdam, seen from the Mosselsteiger (mussel pier)
The Man-of-War Brielle on the River Maas off Rotterdam
Warship and Dutch Sailboats near the Shore
Rough sea with Ships