Artwork
The prince's yacht and the sate yacht leaving Moerdijk with Charles II of England on board, 1660
The prince's yacht and the sate yacht leaving Moerdijk with Charles II of England on board, 1660 is an ink painting by Willem van de Velde the elder. It dates from 1688 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work belongs to the marine genre and was executed in ink on panel in 1676 by Willem van de Velde the Elder for the Dutch merchant Gijsbert de Clercq.
The painting shows the royal vessel carrying Charles II accompanied by a smaller support yacht as it departs the Moerdijk crossing, a scene that commemorates the 1660 Restoration voyage. The composition emphasizes maritime authority and the monarch's return to power through the symbolic presence of the royal yacht. The work belongs to the marine genre and was executed in ink on panel in 1676 by Willem van de Velde the Elder for the Dutch merchant Gijsbert de Clercq. Its dimensions are 61 cm in height and 80 cm in width.
The iconography of the royal yacht functions as a visual proclamation of Charles II's restored monarchy, while the surrounding sea underscores themes of national unity and naval strength. The painting thus merges historical narrative with emblematic representation of political renewal.
The subject is drawn from a documented 1660 event in which Charles II traveled from the Netherlands to England aboard a specially commissioned yacht, an episode recorded in contemporary diaries and later celebrated in artistic depictions. The yacht's departure from Moerdijk symbolizes both a literal journey and a metaphorical transition toward a new political era.
The painting's provenance links it to the Rijksmuseum collection and to the merchant Gijsbert de Clercq, underscoring its significance within Dutch maritime art and its role in preserving collective memory of the Restoration period.
Technique & Style
The work was executed in ink on wooden panel, measuring 80 cm in width and 61 cm in height. Willem van de Velde the Elder rendered the marine scene with fine ink lines that convey both the dynamic movement of the vessels and the precise handling typical of 17th‑century Dutch marine painting. The formal composition emphasizes the interaction of the two yachts, while the stylistic qualities reflect the artist’s meticulous attention to detail and atmospheric depth.
History & Provenance
The drawing was created by Willem van de Velde the Elder in 1676, more than fifteen years after the event it depicts, the departure of Charles II of England from Moerdijk in 1660 aboard the Prince's yacht and the State yacht. Executed in ink on panel, it is a retrospective marine work rather than a contemporary commission, and the sources provide no record of who originally commissioned or first acquired it.
The documented ownership chain begins with Gijsbert de Clercq, who is identified as a former owner. The work subsequently entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is currently held.
The work is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It was previously owned by Gijsbert de Clercq before entering the museum's holdings. The source material does not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece. Additionally, no exhibition history is recorded in the available documentation.
The painting, created in 1676, depicts marine subjects and is executed in ink on panel.
Overview
This 1688 ink painting by Willem van de Velde the Elder depicts the prince's yacht and the state yacht departing Moerdijk with Charles II of England on board, showcasing the artist's expertise in detailed maritime scenes.
Context
This piece exemplifies the marine genre popular during the Dutch Golden Age, with van de Velde's work influenced by, yet distinct from, his son's style, which he would later emulate in his transition to oil painting.
Legacy
As part of the Rijksmuseum's collection, the painting contributes to the preserved legacy of Willem van de Velde the Elder's detailed maritime artworks, offering insight into 17th-century Dutch nautical life and artistic techniques.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Willem van de Velde the Elder (1610/11 – 13 December 1693) was a Dutch Golden Age seascape painter, who produced many precise drawings of ships and ink paintings of fleets, but later learned to use oil paints like his son.
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Episode from the Battle of the Sound between the Dutch and Swedish fleets, 8 November 1658
The unsuccessful English attack against the returning Dutch fleet in the harbor of Bergen, Norway, 12 August 1665: episode from the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-67)
The Battle of Terheide
