Artwork
Ships in a calm
Ships in a calm is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Willem van de Velde the Younger. It dates from 1700 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a work of marine art, the composition focuses on the vessels themselves rather than dramatic weather or battle.
The painting depicts a maritime scene featuring a ship, a longboat, and another boat situated in calm waters. As a work of marine art, the composition focuses on the vessels themselves rather than dramatic weather or battle. The title "Ships in a calm" and the genre classification indicate that the subject matter is defined by the stillness of the sea and the presence of these specific watercraft. The work presents a serene view of naval life, capturing the vessels in a state of tranquility.
Technique & Style
Ships in a calm is executed in oil paint on canvas, a support consistent with Willem van de Velde the Younger's standard marine practice. The relatively modest dimensions of 36 by 43.5 cm indicate a finely handled cabinet-scale composition rather than a large decorative panel, a format that allowed the artist to render ship rigging, hulls, and small craft such as longboats and boats with meticulous detail. The work is classified as a marine painting, and its calm-water subject is treated in the restrained, atmospheric tonal manner characteristic of Van de Velde's late-period seascapes, in which subtle gradations of sky and sea carry the pictorial weight.
No source addresses the present condition of the painting, so its state of preservation cannot be reported here.
History & Provenance
Ships in a Calm was painted by Willem van de Velde the Younger in 1700, as recorded in the work's canonical dating. The oil-on-canvas marine painting entered the collection of Leendert Dupper, who is documented as a former owner. It subsequently became part of the holdings of the Rijksmuseum, where it is currently held.
The painting's documented ownership chain therefore runs from its creation in 1700, through Dupper's private ownership, to its present institutional home at the Rijksmuseum. No details of a commission or intermediate provenance are recorded in the available sources.
Ships in a Calm is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. According to the associated Wikidata record, the painting was formerly owned by Leendert Dupper before entering the museum's holdings.
No specific accession number or detailed exhibition history is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Willem van de Velde the Younger, a Dutch marine painter active at the turn of the 18th century, produced the oil work Ships in a Calm in 1700. The canvas captures a tranquil seascape where several vessels, including a modest longboat and a larger ship, rest on still water beneath a pale sky.
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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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