Artwork
Seesturm
Seesturm is an unspecified painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Adriaen van der Cabel. It dates from 1667 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Seesturm, painted in 1667 by Adriaen van der Cabel, presents a storm‑tossed sea rendered with the vigor typical of mid‑seventeenth‑century Flemish Baroque landscape. The canvas is part of the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings, where it remains on public display as an example of the artist’s engagement with dramatic natural subjects.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a roiling ocean under a darkened sky, conveying the raw power of weather and the precariousness of human presence within it. Van der Cabel’s emphasis on the sea’s turbulence reflects a broader 17th‑century fascination with the sublime forces of nature.
Technique & Style
Executed with brisk brushwork and a muted palette, the painting employs chiaroscuro to heighten the contrast between illuminated wave crests and looming clouds. Van der Cabel’s handling of light and atmospheric effects aligns with the Baroque interest in movement and emotional intensity.
History & Provenance
Created during the artist’s period of activity in France and Italy, Seesturm entered the Alte Pinakothek’s collection at an unspecified later date, where it has been catalogued as a representative work of van der Cabel’s seascapes.
Context
Van der Cabel, a Dutch landscape painter active during the Golden Age, traveled extensively across Europe, absorbing influences from French and Italian scenery. His seascapes, including Seesturm, illustrate the cross‑regional exchange of artistic ideas that characterized the mid‑1600s Baroque milieu.
Artist & collection
Artist
Adriaen van der Cabel or Ary van der Touw (1631 – 16 June 1705), was a Dutch Golden Age landscape painter active in France and Italy.
