Artwork
Calm Sea
Calm Sea is an oil painting by Willem van de Velde the Younger. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Willem van de Velde the Younger's 1660 oil painting, Calm Sea, functions as a work of marine art that visually documents maritime life through a realistic lens.
Willem van de Velde the Younger's 1660 oil painting, Calm Sea, functions as a work of marine art that visually documents maritime life through a realistic lens. The composition depicts a tranquil ocean setting featuring a ship and a longboat, with a man present within the scene. As a genre piece, the work focuses on the accurate representation of vessels and human figures engaged in seafaring activities rather than employing overt allegorical symbolism.
The title and the serene depiction of the water emphasize the calmness of the sea, presenting a moment of stillness in a maritime environment.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1660, Calm Sea is an oil painting on an unspecified support by Willem van de Velde the Younger. As a work of marine art, the composition depicts a tranquil maritime scene featuring a ship, a longboat, and a human figure. The application of oil paint allows for the detailed rendering of these nautical elements, characteristic of the artist's approach to capturing sea voyages and vessel structures. The work is currently held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
History & Provenance
The painting now known as Calm Sea was created by Willem van de Velde the Younger in 1660. It entered the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts through James Edmund Scripps, who owned the work before it became part of the museum’s holdings. The artist’s precise depiction of a tranquil maritime scene aligns with his mature output of the late 1650s and early 1660s.
The painting Calm Sea is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit. The work was previously owned by James Edmund Scripps before entering the museum's holdings. Created in 1660, this marine artwork depicts a man, a ship, and a longboat.
Overview
Calm Sea is a 1660 oil painting by Willem van de Velde the Younger, a Dutch artist known for his marine scenes. It is part of the Detroit Institute of Arts collection.
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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.
