A Dutch flagship coming to anchor with a States yacht before a light air, Willem van de Velde the Yo from the old master collection

About "A Dutch flagship coming to anchor with a States yacht before a light air, Willem van de Velde the Yo"

About the artwork

A Dutch flagship coming to anchor with a States yacht before a light air, Willem van de Velde the Younger
A Dutch flagship is coming to anchor, in calm water, off the Netherlandish coast. In this scene the tall sky seems to envelop all the shipping below. Van de Velde has given equal attention to the rendering of natural atmosphere as well as the various vessels. All the detail on the vessels has been observed meticulously and they are shown bathed in a soft hazy light. The sunlight delineates the carved decoration of the ships and draws attention to the draped sails of the flagship.

To the right a large ship, in port-bow view, is under way, close-hauled on the starboard tack, and firing a forward gun to starboard. This is probably the 'Eendracht', 76 guns, built in 1653. She has a prominent turret on her quarter gallery and lion supporters are just visible on the taffrail. This was the flagship of Lieutenant-Admiral J. van Wassenaer who assembled the fleet that was to sail to the Baltic in October 1658. She flies a Dutch flag at the main, a plain red ensign and a striped jack, red white and blue. Men are preparing to furl the sail and can be seen on the main topsail yard. Pulling to the right, in the centre foreground, is a ship's boat with four oars a side. Four distinguished people are seated aft and a trumpeter is standing forward. A figure standing in the stern is gesturing towards the notable men in the boat. In the left foreground is a States yacht, in starboard-qu