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Lot Essay
Sir Bruce Ingram (1877-1963) was the distinguished editor of the Illustrated London News, who formed from 1936 a collection of pictures and drawings that at one time consisted of more than 5,000 works. Pre-eminent among the collection were the works of the two Willems van de Velde, 700 of which were presented to the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich to mark his eightieth birthday. Other museums that benefited from his collection were the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, the Birmingham Art Gallery and the Royal Scottish Museum. Ingram was honorary keeper of drawings at the Fitzwilliam Museum and honorary adviser on pictures and drawings to the National Maritime Museum.
Robinson, loc. cit., notes that when the picture was seen in Dr. Girardet's collection in 1972, it had on the reverse a certificate signed by Ingram and Thomas Wickens (who lined the picture in 1962) to the effect that the picture was signed on the reverse of the original canvas 'W. V. Velde J', possibly with an illegible date under the first W. He also records that the National Maritime Museum has a photograph of the signature with a note by Ingram: 'Back of small Van de Velde storm bought Christie's June 15th 1934'. Robinson could not in 1972 detect the initials on the driftwood, which are in fact indistinctly present. The picture also had, according to Sir Bruce, the only known example of van de Velde's seal on the stretcher, which he gave to Greenwich in 1958. In spite of the seal, and the two signatures, Robinson believes the present picture to be a second version by the studio executed 'under the close supervision of the master'. The picture is currently catalogued in accordance with Robinson's opinion. However, the fact that it is signed on the front and was so on the back, and also bore the artist's seal on the stretcher, makes it hard to believe that van de Velde had no physical part in its execution. The first version is lost, and known only by a mezzotint of circa 1725, see Robinson, op. cit., pp. 1086-7, no. 91 (1)). There he describes it as probably painted by Willem van de Velde II, circa 1700; Kirkall's engraving describes the first version as 'E. Collectione Philippi Hollingworth' (possibly Philip Hollingworth, banker; (+) sale, Langford, London, 16-19 March 1752).
Robinson, loc. cit., notes that when the picture was seen in Dr. Girardet's collection in 1972, it had on the reverse a certificate signed by Ingram and Thomas Wickens (who lined the picture in 1962) to the effect that the picture was signed on the reverse of the original canvas 'W. V. Velde J', possibly with an illegible date under the first W. He also records that the National Maritime Museum has a photograph of the signature with a note by Ingram: 'Back of small Van de Velde storm bought Christie's June 15th 1934'. Robinson could not in 1972 detect the initials on the driftwood, which are in fact indistinctly present. The picture also had, according to Sir Bruce, the only known example of van de Velde's seal on the stretcher, which he gave to Greenwich in 1958. In spite of the seal, and the two signatures, Robinson believes the present picture to be a second version by the studio executed 'under the close supervision of the master'. The picture is currently catalogued in accordance with Robinson's opinion. However, the fact that it is signed on the front and was so on the back, and also bore the artist's seal on the stretcher, makes it hard to believe that van de Velde had no physical part in its execution. The first version is lost, and known only by a mezzotint of circa 1725, see Robinson, op. cit., pp. 1086-7, no. 91 (1)). There he describes it as probably painted by Willem van de Velde II, circa 1700; Kirkall's engraving describes the first version as 'E. Collectione Philippi Hollingworth' (possibly Philip Hollingworth, banker; (+) sale, Langford, London, 16-19 March 1752).