Artwork
Ships off the coast in calm weather
Ships off the coast in calm weather is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Willem van de Velde the Younger. It dates from 1690 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a piece of marine art created in 1678, the painting focuses on the representation of vessels within a tranquil sea environment.
The work depicts a maritime scene featuring boats situated off a coastline under calm weather conditions. As a piece of marine art created in 1678, the painting focuses on the representation of vessels within a tranquil sea environment. The subject matter is strictly defined by the visual presence of boats and the specific atmospheric state of the water, reflecting the artist's specialization in rendering naval subjects.
Technique & Style
Ships off the coast in calm weather is executed in oil paint on panel, a support combination characteristic of Willem van de Velde the Younger's smaller, cabinet-scale marine works. The painting measures 22.5 by 31 cm, a modest format suited to its finely handled finish. Classified as a marine painting, it depicts boats off the coast in calm weather, a subject Van de Velde the Younger treated with restrained atmospheric effects and precise rendering of sailing craft. The work is dated 1678 and is held in the Rijksmuseum collection.
History & Provenance
Ships off the coast in calm weather was painted by Willem van de Velde the Younger in 1678, executed in oil on panel. The work is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Among its recorded owners is Jacobus Salomon Hendrik van de Poll, prior to its accession by the museum. The sources do not provide further details on commission, intermediate owners, or acquisition circumstances.
The panel measures 22.5 cm in height by 31 cm in width, consistent with a small-scale marine study produced in the late phase of the artist's career.
Ships off the coast in calm weather is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work, painted in 1678, is recorded on Wikidata as belonging to that institution, with dimensions of 22.5 by 31 cm. Prior provenance traces the painting to Jacobus Salomon Hendrik van de Poll, listed as a former owner.
No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
In 1690, Dutch marine painter Willem van de Velde the Younger produced an oil on canvas titled Ships off the coast in calm weather. The composition captures a quiet seascape where several vessels linger under a muted sky, rendered with the restrained palette typical of the late Dutch Golden Age. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s permanent collection.
Own this work as a print
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.
