Jan van de Cappelle - A Small Vessel in Light Airs, and Another Ashore [c1650-60]

Jan van de Cappelle - A Small Vessel in Light Airs, and Another Ashore [c1650-60], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

On the left is a smalschip (a small sprit-rigged transport vessel), with sails set; a kaag (a clinker-built vessel with a straight raking stem) is beached on the right. The painting is a fairly early work, probably dating from the 1650s.

Van de Cappelle was one of the leading marine painters of 17th-century Holland. He was born in Amsterdam, the son of a wealthy dyer. His output consists mainly of estuary, river and calm water scenes; he also produced about forty winter landscapes. He is said to have been self-taught, and was influenced by the work of Simon de Vlieger who spent his last years at Weesp, near Amsterdam. 

In 1653 van de Cappelle acquired Amsterdam citizenship and he bought a house there in 1661. From 1663 he may have devoted his energies largely to commerce. Van de Cappelle amassed a large art collection, including sixteen paintings by Jan Porcellis, a pioneering seascape painter of the early 17th century, and nine by de Vlieger, as well as many of his drawings; Rembrandt and Avercamp were also represented in his Collection by large numbers of drawings.

[Oil on canvas, 34.8 x 48.1 cm]