Oil painting, 'Shipping in a Calm', style of Willem van de Velde the younger, 19th century

A calm sea with two small three-masted ships both flying the British flag from the stern. A rowing boat leaving the ship on the right and two small vessels visible on the horizon. A large cumulus cloud hangs in the sky above.

Bequeathed by John Jones

Bequeathed by John Jones, 1882

Historical significance: Willem van de Velde II (1633-1707) was the son of Willem van de Velde I. Around 1648 Willem II moved to Weesp to study under Simon de Vlieger, whose sombre and atmospheric seascapes were a foil to the more prosaic realism of his father’s work. In 1652 he was back in Amsterdam, and took up work in his father’s studio. His earliest paintings, were signed by van de Velde the elder as head of the studio. Willem is celebrated for his exquisitely drawn ships, a careful regard for the placing of each vessel to create a satisfying composition and an atmosphere of serene tranquillity. 587-1882 is executed in the style of van de Velde's work but lacks his technical ability and luminous quality. The somewhat 'flat' appearance of the composition and their uncomfortable placement in the water suggests a less accomplished hand painting at a later date, probably in the 19th century.

Marine paintings present sea subjects with particular attention to ships and shipping. When marine painting emerged as a distinct genre, in the 17th-century Dutch Republic, the initial focus was on large, publicly commissioned history paintings commemorating naval engagements against the Spanish and important political and commercial events. The genre was largely developed by Hendrick Vroom and from the 1620s onwards a market developed for smaller marine paintings, by such artists as Porcellis, de Vlieger, van de Cappelle, and van de Velde the younger, whose interests lay primarily in the depiction of atmospheric effects and the behaviour of the sea in various conditions. The Anglo-Dutch Wars (1652–74) revived interest in publicly commissioned historical painting, and after both Willem van de Velde and his son were appointed as painters to Charles II, the market in marine painting moved to London. The early marine paintings of Turner emulated those of the earlier Dutch painters such as van de Cappelle and van de Velde the younger, but Turner's more dramatic vision inspired the next generation of marine artists, and he superseded van de Velde as their model. His influence is apparent in the work of many marine artists, such as Edward William Cooke (1811–80), and Clarkson Stanfield (1793–1867), who continued to flourish in England throughout the 19th century.

Described as 'after' van de Velde by Long (1923) and 'manner of' van de Velde by Kauffmann (1973)

A calm sea with two small three-masted ships both flying the British flag from the stern. A rowing boat leaving the ship on the right and two small vessels visible on the horizon. A large cumulus cloud hangs in the sky above. Willem van de Velde II (1633-1707) was the son of Willem van de Velde I. Around 1648 Willem II moved to Weesp to study under Simon de Vlieger, whose sombre and atmospheric seascapes were a foil to the more prosaic realism of his father’s work. In 1652 he was back in Amsterdam, and took up work in his father’s studio. Willem is celebrated for his exquisitely drawn ships, a careful regard for the placing of each vessel to create a satisfying composition and an atmosphere of serene tranquillity. 587-1882 is executed in the style of van de Velde's work but lacks his technical ability and luminous quality. The somewhat 'flat' appearance of the composition and their uncomfortable placement in the water suggests a less accomplished hand painting at a later date, probably in the 19th century.

587-1882