Beschreibung:

Studio of Willem van de Velde (1633-1707) 'A small English merchant ship at anchor firing a gun' signed lower center oil on canvas, 62x74 cm Literature: M.S. Robinson, A catalogue of the paintings of the Elder and the youger Willem van de Velde Greenwich, National Maritime Museum 1990, vol. II, 1990, nr 591, p. 654-655 with illustration. Provenance: - W.E. Duits, London (according to Duits, the painting has earlier been in the collections of P. Estens, Reigate, Surrey and of G. Smit Gerrards Cross, Bucks) - P. de Boer, Amsterdam, in the Delft Antique Dealers Fair 1951, as. no.51. P. de Boer wrote: if it's by Van de Velde, it must haven been painted c. 1700 by someone working for the Younger's studio. - Now from private Dutch collection. ------ 'A rather hazy day with cumulus cloud; a weak sun comes from the left of the picture and a light air from the right. In the centre is a ship, almost stern view, a little on the starboard quarter, apparently at anchor, her fore course loosed, main course clewed up and mizzen brailed, fore and main topsails loosed on the cap. She is firing a gun to port as a ship's boat pulls away from her port quarter; the boat has a striped ensign. There is another boat on the ships starboard quarter. On the right there is a large fishing pink with her square sail lowered to the rail; there is a man in the stern with on oar to starboard. In the right middle-distance is a ship viewed from al little abaft the port beam, apparently at anchor but with some sails loosed. There is another ship at anchor nearly stern view in the left background. By her round stern or tuck, the ship is English-built. She has what appears to be a red ensign, but she has some rather Dutch-looking decoration. On her tafferel is a lion holding an orb, which may give her a connection with Venice. Below the stern windows she has a shield bearing stripes that may be barry wavy and with full-lenght figures as supporters. Instead of having a man-of-war's pendant with St. George in chief, she has striped pendants the whole lenght, which would be normal for a merchant ship.' From: M.S. Robinson, A catalogue of the paintings of the Elder and the younger Willem van de Velde Greenwich, National Maritime museum, 1990, vol II, 1990, nr 591, p.654-655