Artwork
The Capture of the Royal Prince
The Capture of the Royal Prince is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Willem van de Velde the Younger. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work was created in 1670 and has retained its original support and handling, showing no documented alterations to its material integrity.
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 58.5 cm in height by 81 cm in width. Willem van de Velde the Younger employed a marine genre style, rendering the captured vessel with precise detail and atmospheric depth characteristic of 17th-century Dutch seascapes. The work was created in 1670 and has retained its original support and handling, showing no documented alterations to its material integrity.
Its formal composition emphasizes the dynamic movement of the ship within a structured spatial arrangement, reflecting contemporary techniques of maritime representation.
History & Provenance
The painting was completed in 1670 by Willem van de Velde the Younger, as recorded by both the artist’s oeuvre and the collection holding institution.
It entered the present collection directly from the artist’s patron: the canvas is documented as owned by Gerrit van der Pot at the time of creation. By the late seventeenth century, the work was held within the Dutch Republic, later passing into the Rijksmuseum where it remains today.
Overview
Willem van de Velde the Younger, a Dutch marine specialist of the 17th‑century Golden Age, painted The Capture of the Royal Prince in 1670. Executed in oil on canvas, the work portrays a naval engagement centered on a large, white‑sailed vessel surrounded by smaller ships, set against a cloud‑filled sky and turbulent sea.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a moment of conflict at sea, emphasizing the chaos of battle through billowing smoke, choppy water, and the cramped arrangement of vessels. The central ship, likely the eponymous Royal Prince, dominates the scene, suggesting a dramatic loss or capture that would have resonated with contemporary audiences familiar with maritime warfare.
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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.
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)
Captured English Ships after the Four Days’ Battle
English Warships at Sea in a Fresh Breeze
The Battle of Livorno
Slag bij Livorno
The battle of the Zuider Zee, 1573
The Battle of the Zuider Zee, 1573
Ships on the sea
Dutch Ships in a Lively Breeze
Harbor Scene: An English Ship with Sails Loosened Firing a Gun