Artwork
Sea storm with a rising thunderstorm
Sea storm with a rising thunderstorm is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Willem van de Velde the Younger. It dates from 1672 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Together these visual elements convey themes of human vulnerability and the sublime forces that shape the natural world.
The painting portrays a tempestuous sea scene dominated by a darkening sky pierced by a sudden flash of lightning, symbolizing the raw power of nature and the tension between chaos and divine order. The rising thunderstorm functions as a metaphor for impending crisis, while the turbulent waves reflect the instability of maritime life in the late seventeenth century. Together these visual elements convey themes of human vulnerability and the sublime forces that shape the natural world.
Technique & Style
Sea storm with a rising thunderstorm is an oil painting on canvas executed by Willem van de Velde the Younger in 1672. The work is classified as a marine painting and is held in the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek. Its canvas support measures 63 cm in height by 90.8 cm in width, giving the composition a horizontal orientation suited to the expansive seascape.
The medium and dimensions are consistent with Van de Velde the Younger's characteristic handling of oil paint to render atmospheric effects over open water.
No further details regarding specific technique, surface condition, or stylistic handling are documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
Sea storm with a rising thunderstorm was created by Willem van de Velde the Younger in 1672, executed in oil paint on canvas;. The painting is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is on view at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, indicating its institutional ownership and current location within that collection. No further details regarding commission, prior owners, or earlier provenance are documented in the available sources.
The painting Sea storm with a rising thunderstorm by Willem van de Velde the Younger is held within the Bavarian State Painting Collections. It is specifically located at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The work is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 63 cm in height and 90.8 cm in width.
Created in 1672, this marine genre piece depicts a storm scene. The provided sources do not contain information regarding specific inventory numbers, accession dates, or a history of exhibitions for this artwork.
Overview
Created in 1672 by Willem van de Velde the Younger, this oil painting captures a turbulent maritime scene characteristic of the Dutch Golden Age. The canvas presents a restless sea populated by several vessels, juxtaposed against a sky split between dark storm clouds and a luminous, golden cloud, conveying a moment of impending weather change.
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.
- A Storm (Ships in the Harbor in a Stiff Breeze)
Sea-piece with a Dutch man-of-war
Ships in a Storm
The Royal Visit to the Fleet in the Thames Estuary, 6 June 1672
Sea-piece, a breeze near a Dutch port
The 'Eendracht' and Other Ships of the Dutch Fleet
Engagement between British and Dutch Ships, after 1673
Captured English Ships after the Four Days’ Battle
Kriegsflotte in einer Brise
Kriegsschiffe und kleine Schiffe in einer Brise
The skirmish of Michiel Adriaensz de Ruyter against the duke of York, commanding the 'Royal Prince'during the Battle of Solebay, 7 June 1672: episode from the Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672-74)
Seascape