VELDE, Willem van de, the Younger
(b. 1633, Leiden, d. 1707, London)

Calm Sea

c. 1670
Oil on canvas, 33 x 38 cm
Private collection

This seascape depicts a calm sea with a kaag and a boeier close in to the shore, other ships beyond. Van de Velde's ability to convey the atmosphere and tranquillity of a coastal calm has never been matched. Here, the surface of the water remains utterly tranquil with the slightest of ripples reaching the spit of sand in the foreground.