Artwork
Ships in a Calm Sea
Ships in a Calm Sea is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Willem van de Velde the Younger. It dates from 1680 and is held in the collection of the National Galleries Scotland.
About this work
Overview
Ships in a Calm Sea is a painting by Willem van de Velde the Younger, a Dutch artist renowned for his marine scenes, created around 1680. The work is now held in the Scottish National Gallery.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a serene maritime scene with multiple vessels on calm waters, showcasing the artist's skill in capturing the subtleties of light and atmosphere.
Technique & Style
Van de Velde the Younger employed a range of colors to convey the interplay of light on the water and the ships' hulls, achieving a peaceful effect through his detailed rendering of the vessels' rigging and sails.
History & Provenance
The painting is a product of the Dutch Golden Age, a period of cultural and artistic flourishing in the Netherlands, and is characteristic of the marine art for which van de Velde the Younger and his father were known.
Artist & collection
Artist
Willem van de Velde the Younger
Willem van de Velde the Younger (18 December 1633 (baptised) – 6 April 1707) was a Dutch painter who specialised in marine art.
English Warship Firing a Salute
Entrance to a Dutch Port
Ships in a calm
A Ship on the High Seas Caught by a Squall, Known as ‘The Gust’
Encounter during the Battle of Kijkduin
The skirmish of Michiel Adriaensz de Ruyter against the duke of York, commanding the 'Royal Prince'during the Battle of Solebay, 7 June 1672: episode from the Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672-74)
Captured English Ships after the Four Days’ Battle
Ships off the coast
