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Lot Essay
An exceptionally well preserved canvas, the present work has long been recognised as one of the outstanding paintings in the Willem van de Velde oeuvre. Since it was first documented in 1778 at the Servad sale in Amsterdam ('eene der beste pronkjuweelen van dezen uitmuntenden Zee-schilder'), the picture has received unanimous acclaim for its technical excellence and the serene harmony of its composition. In 1835, the renowned art dealer and chronicler of Dutch paintings John Smith pronounced it 'one of the master's finest works', and commended it for 'the science of its composition' and its 'magical gradation of tones and the exquisite beauty of the pencilling'. This view was echoed by the great connoisseur Gustav Waagen, who saw the picture in 1856 and declared it simply: 'In every respect one of the master's finest works'. More than a century later, in his seminal monograph on Van de Velde, the usually reserved Michael Robinson acknowledged 'the perfection of the drawing of the ships and the skill of its composition', comparing it in these respects to what is widely perceived to be the artist's masterpiece of his Dutch period - the monumental Calm in the Wallace Collection, London (see fig. 1).
Robinson dates the Robarts picture to circa 1665, slightly earlier than the much larger Calm in the Wallace collection which is thought to have been commissioned by Admiral Cornelis Tromp soon after 1665. The two pictures are composed along very similar lines with a central vista framed by a large ship, seen starboard bow view, coming to anchor on the left, and a merchant vessel, port quarter view, on the right. Both works also feature a barge with distinguished people and a trumpeter pulling away from the largest ship which is firing a gun to port in salute. Robinson notes that the Robarts scene probably represents the return of a fleet of Indiamen. None of the vessels can be specifically identified although the ship on the right bears the coat-of-arms of the city of Amsterdam on her stern.
Willem van de Velde had begun painting calm marines with towering skies and numerous boats of varying types retreating into the distance, by the early 1650s, no doubt under the influence of his teacher Simon de Vlieger. These works were often based on designs made by his father - Willem van de Velde the Elder - in grisaille penschilderijen which were then transformed into coloured paintings by the younger Van de Velde. The precise nature of this working relationship is hinted at by an English Royal warrant of 1674 which specified equal payments to the two artists; to the father: 'for taking and making Draughts of seafights'; and to his son: 'for putting the said Draughts into colours for our particular use'. Robinson actually remarks that the Robarts picture shows more clearly than in most works how successfully this was achieved. As further noted by Robinson, a loosely related drawing by Willem van de Velde the Younger was included in the Cremer sale; Sotheby's Mak van Waay, Amsterdam, 17 November 1980, lot 111, illustrated.
Robinson dates the Robarts picture to circa 1665, slightly earlier than the much larger Calm in the Wallace collection which is thought to have been commissioned by Admiral Cornelis Tromp soon after 1665. The two pictures are composed along very similar lines with a central vista framed by a large ship, seen starboard bow view, coming to anchor on the left, and a merchant vessel, port quarter view, on the right. Both works also feature a barge with distinguished people and a trumpeter pulling away from the largest ship which is firing a gun to port in salute. Robinson notes that the Robarts scene probably represents the return of a fleet of Indiamen. None of the vessels can be specifically identified although the ship on the right bears the coat-of-arms of the city of Amsterdam on her stern.
Willem van de Velde had begun painting calm marines with towering skies and numerous boats of varying types retreating into the distance, by the early 1650s, no doubt under the influence of his teacher Simon de Vlieger. These works were often based on designs made by his father - Willem van de Velde the Elder - in grisaille penschilderijen which were then transformed into coloured paintings by the younger Van de Velde. The precise nature of this working relationship is hinted at by an English Royal warrant of 1674 which specified equal payments to the two artists; to the father: 'for taking and making Draughts of seafights'; and to his son: 'for putting the said Draughts into colours for our particular use'. Robinson actually remarks that the Robarts picture shows more clearly than in most works how successfully this was achieved. As further noted by Robinson, a loosely related drawing by Willem van de Velde the Younger was included in the Cremer sale; Sotheby's Mak van Waay, Amsterdam, 17 November 1980, lot 111, illustrated.