Artwork

The Departure of the Pilgrim Fathers from Delfshaven on their Way to America

The Departure of the Pilgrim Fathers from Delfshaven on their Way to America is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Adam Willaerts. It dates from 1620 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Adam Willaerts' 1620 marine painting depicts the historical embarkation of the Pilgrim Fathers from Delfshaven as they prepared for their voyage to America.

Adam Willaerts' 1620 marine painting depicts the historical embarkation of the Pilgrim Fathers from Delfshaven as they prepared for their voyage to America. The composition features a ship and a longboat populated by men and women, capturing the specific moment of departure. By focusing on the figures and vessels associated with this event, the work serves as a visual record of the group's journey, representing the beginning of their migration across the Atlantic.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in oil paint on panel, a support typical of early seventeenth-century Dutch marine painting. Its medium is classified simply as oil paint, with the panel ground providing a rigid surface for the marine scene depicting the Pilgrim embarkation at Delfshaven.

Stylistically, the painting belongs to the marine genre, situating it within Adam Willaerts's known specialization in seascapes and harbor views. The composition centers on a ship, a longboat, and groups of men and women, organized around the act of embarkation, a narrative arrangement consistent with Willaerts's treatment of ships and figures in coastal settings.

History & Provenance

Painted in 1620 by Adam Willaerts, the work records the 1620 departure of English Pilgrims (Separatists) from Delfshaven aboard the Speedwell before their trans-Atlantic voyage.

The painting entered the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, through the Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Collection.

Overview

Adam Willaerts's 1620 oil painting, The Departure of the Pilgrim Fathers from Delfshaven on their Way to America, captures a significant historical moment. This marine scene illustrates the Pilgrims' embarkation from Delfshaven, a port city in the Netherlands, as they prepared for their transatlantic voyage. The artwork is currently housed in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.