A kaag, a weyschuit and two rowing-boats off a sandbank in a calm, two men-o'-war and other shipping beyond

Details

Willem van de Velde II (Leiden 1633-1707 London)
A kaag, a weyschuit and two rowing-boats off a sandbank in a calm, two men-o'-war and other shipping beyond
signed with initials 'WVV' (lower centre, on the boat)
oil on canvas
12½ x 14 7/8 in. (31.8 x 37.8 cm.)

Provenance

(Probably) with D. Cutbill, London, 1938.
(Probably) with Leonard Koetser, London, 1938.
with Gebr. Douwes, Amsterdam, 1938, from whom acquired by a member of the family of the present owner.

Literature

M.S. Robinson, The Paintings of the Willem van de Veldes, London, 1990, I, p. 405, no. 650[2].

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Five versions of this composition are listed by Robinson (op. cit. pp. 404-6), of which this and the picture in the Bentinck collection, Welbeck Abbey (ibid., no. 650[1]) are considered the finest. The Welbeck picture, dated 1662, which was painted with a companion (ibid., no. 649), differs from this version only in the inclusion of some birds on the left side. Robinson speculates that there may be an as-yet unknown prototype by Van de Velde for all five works 'with more of the master's work on it.'

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