Artwork
Ships on a Stormy Sea
Ships on a Stormy Sea is an oil painting by Johannes Christiaan Schotel. It dates from 1826 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a small boat battling turbulent waters beneath dark, churning clouds, conveying the peril and awe of seafaring storms.
The painting depicts a small boat battling turbulent waters beneath dark, churning clouds, conveying the peril and awe of seafaring storms. The tempestuous setting functions as a metaphor for human struggle against nature, reflecting early 19th‑century Romantic interest in the sublime and the forces beyond human control.
Schotel’s composition emphasizes the fragile vessel against overwhelming forces, reinforcing themes of resilience and vulnerability within the maritime landscape genre.
The work is part of the Rijksmuseum collection at Villa Welgelegen.
Technique & Style
Ships on a Stormy Sea is an oil painting executed on canvas, a support consistent with Johannes Christiaan Schotel's marine landscape practice. The work measures 163.5 cm in height by 218 cm in width, a broad horizontal format suited to its seascape subject. Classified as a landscape painting, it depicts boats on turbulent waters, a theme characteristic of Schotel's specialization in maritime scenes. The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum collection.
Stylistically, the composition belongs to the Dutch marine tradition, emphasizing atmospheric drama through the rendering of stormy seas. The use of oil paint on a large canvas allowed for the layered handling typical of nineteenth-century seascape painting, where tonal contrasts between sky and water convey weather and movement.
History & Provenance
Ships on a Stormy Sea is an oil painting created in 1826 by Johannes Christiaan Schotel. The work measures 163.5 cm in height and 218 cm in width and belongs to the landscape genre. It was produced at Villa Welgelegen and is part of the Rijksmuseum collection.
Ships on a Stormy Sea by Johannes Christiaan Schotel is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The work is also associated with the holdings of Villa Welgelegen, a related collection linked to the Rijksmuseum.
No specific inventory or accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.
Overview
Created in 1826, this oil painting by Dutch marine artist Johannes Christiaan Schotel captures a tempestuous seascape. Three vessels confront towering waves beneath a storm‑filled sky, while intermittent shafts of sunlight pierce the cloud cover, illuminating the frothy water. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies early‑19th‑century maritime genre painting.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Johannes Christiaan Schotel (1787–1838) was an artist, born in Dordrecht.
Ships in a Turbulent Sea
A Dutch Flagship Coming to Anchor
Seascape from the Zeeland Waters, near the Island of Schouwen
Ships off the Coast
Ships in Distress off a Rocky Coast
Kriegsschiffe und kleine Schiffe in einer Brise
After the Storm
The Warship "De Jacob" at Anchor
Fishing boat with the wind in the sails
Ships Sailing and Beating up against the Wind in the Sound
Rough sea with Ships