Artwork
Ships in a Gale
Ships in a Gale is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Willem van de Velde the Younger. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower center on rock: W.V.V. / 1660
About this work
Technique & Style
Ships in a Gale is an oil painting executed on a wooden panel around 1660 by Willem van de Velde the Younger.
Ships in a Gale is an oil painting executed on a wooden panel around 1660 by Willem van de Velde the Younger. The work belongs to the marine genre and was created using oil pigments applied to a rigid panel support, a common practice among Dutch marine artists of the period. The composition captures a tumultuous sea with multiple vessels contending against powerful waves, rendered through vigorous brushwork that emphasizes movement and atmospheric contrast.
The painting's formal treatment reflects the realist emphasis on accurate maritime detail and dramatic lighting characteristic of late 17th‑century Dutch seascapes.
History & Provenance
Ships in a Gale was painted by Willem van de Velde the Younger in 1660 in oil on panel. Its early ownership is uncertain, with a probable association with the Proley (or Proly) collection in Paris, followed by an appearance at the Hôtel de Bullion in Paris on 20 March 1787. The work was brought to England in 1823 by the London dealer Thomas Emmerson.
By 1835 it was held by Jeremiah Harman at Higham House, Woodford, and passed through his estate sale in 1844 to Edmund Higginson of Saltmarshe Castle, who sold it at Christie & Manson in 1846 to a buyer named Brown. Higginson retained the painting and resold it in 1860 to Turner. It subsequently entered the collection of Edward Sholto Douglas-Pennant, 3rd Baron Penrhyn, in London, appearing at Sotheby's in 1924.
After passing possibly through the dealer Hand in London, it entered a private American collection, with an attribution to Samuel Borchard of New York, and was sold at Parke-Bernet in 1947. The dealer Otto Naumann in New York handled the work before its purchase on 16 June 2000 by the National Gallery of Art.
Ships in a Gale has been in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., since it was purchased on 16 June 2000 through the dealer Otto Naumann in New York. Its documented provenance traces back to a probable Proley (or Proly) collection in Paris, with a possible appearance at the Hôtel de Bullion sale in Paris on 20 March 1787. The painting was brought to England in 1823 by Thomas Emmerson of London and subsequently passed through the collections of Jeremiah Harman at Higham House, Woodford, and Edmund Higginson at Saltmarshe Castle, before being offered at auction multiple times in London between 1844 and 1924.
After a possible stint with the dealer Hand in London, it entered a private collection in the United States associated with Samuel Borchard in New York, was offered at his estate sale at Parke-Bernet on 9 January 1947, and later passed through a private collection in South America before reaching the NGA.
Overview
Willem van de Velde the Younger's "Ships in a Gale," created in 1660, is an oil painting on panel that captures a dramatic marine scene. The artwork depicts a small vessel struggling against a turbulent sea, with its sails torn and crew actively engaged in the fight for survival. Dark, heavy clouds dominate the sky, contributing to the perilous atmosphere as high waves crash around the ship's wooden hull.
Subject & Meaning
The painting vividly conveys the immense power of nature and the vulnerability of human endeavors at sea. A small ship is shown in distress, its rigging damaged and its crew working against the elements. The tumultuous waves and ominous sky underscore the danger, presenting a dramatic confrontation between the vessel and the storm. This focus on maritime peril was a significant theme in Dutch Golden Age art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Willem van de Velde the Younger
Willem van de Velde the Younger (18 December 1633 (baptised) – 6 April 1707) was a Dutch painter who specialised in marine art.
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