Ships off Shore in a Stormy Sea
1665
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1665
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Ships off Shore in a Stormy Sea is a 1665 oil by Ludolf Bakhuizen, a Baroque work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows three tall ships tossed in dark, choppy waves. Lightning splits the sky above their billowing sails. The water looks heavy enough to swallow a man whole. Bakhuizen made a name painting storms like this. He worked fast with thick paint, piling it up so the waves feel rough to touch. You can almost hear the wind roar. See for yourself at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Ludolf Bakhuizen’s *Ships off Shore in a Stormy Sea* (1665) depicts a dramatic maritime scene with a fishing boat perilously close to a jagged rock, where two figures converse. A Dutch man-of-war appears faintly in the distant left background, while storm clouds dominate the sky, emphasizing the painting’s tense atmosphere. The composition reflects Bakhuizen’s mid-1660s style, marked by heightened drama and brighter hues. Conservation work in 1968 revealed the original rock and figures, confirming the painting’s altered dimensions.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Ludolf Bakhuizen painted the sea in all its fury and calm during the Dutch Golden Age.
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