A Dutch States Yacht and Fishing Boats off a Jetty
Ludolf Backhuysen the Elder (Emden 1630 - Amsterdam 1708)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
circa 1660 - 1708
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
557 x 787 mm (22 x 31 in)
Place of origin
Holland
Order this imageCollection
Polesden Lacey, Surrey
NT 1246486
Caption
Bold effects of light and shade bring a sense of drama to this seventeenth-century Dutch coastal scene of boats buffeted by a squall. At the centre of the composition the bright sail of a States Yacht is picked out against a dark cloud. These speedy vessels were used to convey dignitaries across the Republic’s innumerable watercourses in comfort and magnificence. The statenvlag (state flag) flutters patriotically as an ensign on the ornate stern, reflecting the pride of the Dutch in their maritime power which was then at its height. The standard at the peak of the spit supporting the head of the mainsail bears the colours of the city of Muiden, suggesting the origin of the commission of this picture.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, A Dutch States Yacht and Fishing Boats off a Jetty, by Ludolf Backhuysen I (Emden 1630 – Amsterdam 1708), c. 1660 - 1708. A States Yacht in the centre surrounded by several small fishing boats in a choppy sea; a man of war in the distance at the left; a pier extends from the right to beyond the centre of the picture.
Provenance
Baron Verstolk van Soelen (1776 - 1845), 1835, whose collection was bought en bloc by Thomas Baring (1799-1873), Humphrey Mildmay (1794 - 1853) and Lord Overstone (1796 – 1883); Henry Bingham Mildmay (1828 - 1905) sale, Christie's, 24 June 1893, lot 3, bought by Lesser (1849 - 1911), from whom acquired by William McEwan in 1893 for £383; The bequest of Margaret (Anderson) McEwan, The Hon. Mrs Ronald - later Dame Margaret - Henry Fulke Greville, DBE (1863-1942) from probate records linked with the donation of the property to the National Trust in 1943. This item found on the record for Polesden Lacey pictures, drawings etc., stored in the cellar, page 169.
Makers and roles
Ludolf Backhuysen the Elder (Emden 1630 - Amsterdam 1708) , artist