WILLEM VAN DE VELDE THE YOUNGER | A STATES YACHT FROM THE ADMIRALTY OF AMSTERDAM, BEFORE A MODERATE BREEZE, MEETING A TWO-DECKER

Francois Xavier de Burtin (1743-1818);

His sale, London, Christie's, 15 June 1822, lot 139;

Possibly John Smith, London;

Mrs. Hibbert, London;

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 23 June 1873, lot 86, for £766 (to Nieuwenhuys);

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 17 July 1886, lot 110, to Rutley for Edward Dent;

Thence by descent to his son, Major Leonard Dent;

By whom sold, London, Christie's, 30 March 1979, lot 69;

With Noortman Master Paintings, London;

From whom acquired by the present collector. 

F.X. de Burtin, Traité, Théorique et Practique des Connoissances, Brussels 1808, cat. no. 176, pp. 337-339;

Possibly J. Smith, A Catalogue raisonné...., Supplement, London 1842, no. 18;

A. Graves, Art Sales from early in the eighteenth century to early in the twentieth century, vol. 3, London 1918-21, p. 276;

C. Hofstede de Groot, Kristisches und beschreibendes Verzeichnis der Werke der hervorragendsten hollädischen Maler des XVII. Jahrhunderts, vol. 7, Esslingen & Paris 1907-28, pp. 45-46, cat. no. 146;

M.S. Robinson, The Paintings of the Willem van de Veldes, vol. 2, London 1990, pp. 764-765, reproduced, cat. no. 55;

M. van Dam, François Xavier de Burtin (1743-1818), unpublished master's thesis, University of Utrecht 2001, pp. 80, 139, reproduced.

Signed and dated 1654, the present painting constitutes one of Willem van de Velde's earliest works and is of pivotal importance in tracing the development of his incredibly influential career. Van de Velde was only twenty-one when he painted this crisp seascape, however his mature style is already apparent throughout. His precocious and technically advanced style is displayed here in its precise draughtmanship and luminous handling of the cloudscape. 

The painting depicts a States yacht of the Admiralty of Amsterdam, the largest and most important of the five Dutch admiralities at the time of the Dutch Republic, sailing into the open sea and firing a salute which is addressed to and answered by the large three-master, possibly an Amsterdam Indiaman, on the right middle ground. Another Indiaman can be seen sailing in the further distance, amongst other ships. The large shadows on the water, cast by the billowing clouds above, enhance the sense of spaciousness of the open water. 

The picture was once owned by the great connoisseur, physician and physicist François Xavier de Burtin (1743-1818) who mentioned it in his highly influential and comprehensive work on connoisseurship (see Literature). It was also thought to have later come into the possession of John Smith, who in the supplement to his Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch, Flemish and French painters likely described this work as demonstrating the "clear silvery tone of his finest manner". 

From a young age, van de Velde began producing outstanding marines in oil paint based on the elaborate drawn studies by his father, Willem van de Velde the Elder. The influence of his father, the official artist of the Dutch fleet, is evident in the meticulous and documentary nature of this work. Indeed, it was Willem van de Velde the Elder who took it upon himself to row in a galley in the water whilst sketching so that he might obtain the optimum viewpoint for his sketches. Such meticulous powers observation were clearly passed down to his son.