A Spanish xebec and other commercial craft in the Mediterranean off Gibraltar at sunset

Born in Elsinore, Denmark in 1824, Vilhelm Melbye was the middle brother of the marine artists, Anton (1818-1875) and Fritz (1826-1896). He first studied to become a merchant but then turned to painting, studying under his elder brother, Anton, and at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, becoming head of the Academy towards the end of his life in 1880. Working in London, Dusseldorf and Paris, his paintings achieved a wide international popularity, exhibiting at the R.A. between 1853 and 1867. Melbye preferred a realistic style and had a far more romantic approach to paintings than most 19th century maritime artists, concentrating mostly on seascapes and topographical subjects, including many views of the Mediterranean.