A Dutch Yacht saluting, Willem van de Velde
This is the largest and most elaborate of the pictures by Willem van de Velde the Younger in the National Gallery’s collection. Painted with the artist’s usual accuracy and fine detail, the depiction of a marine occasion fairly common in a seafaring nation like seventeenth-century Holland becomes spectacular and exciting. The central vessel is a Statenjacht (state yacht) flying the Dutch colours. The puff of smoke is cannon fire, a salute to the officials approaching in the barge alongside, which bears the coat of arms of Amsterdam.
The small pleasure yacht on the extreme right carries a pennant, the colours of which signify a private vessel. The blue panel on the pennant features a gold wreath with the initials ‘W/VV’ in the centre. This would perhaps suggest that van de Velde has portrayed the family yacht, though whether the people on board are the van de Veldes is open to question.
