Seascape with men of war and smaller vessels; jetty, left

Ludolf, I Backhuysen 1630 - 1708

Summary

The name Vrede (Peace), on the stern of the large vessel on the right, could relate to several 17th-century warships, but the best candidate is the warship commissioned by the Amsterdam Admiralty in 1650, shortly after the Republic was formed. This vessel and her sister ship, Vrijheid (Freedom), served as models for a series of warships made following the disasters suffered by the Dutch navy in the first Anglo-Dutch war (1652-1654). Above the ship's name are three figures, one of which is the winged figure of Peace herself. Although Backhuysen's painting was made years later, the inclusion of this particular ship indicates its importance in Dutch naval history. The scene is enlivened by a kaag, a local sailing vessel with brown and cream sails, carving a route through the busy, choppy waters, passing just in front of a small rowing boat with a cargo of barrels. A figure on the rowing boat directs our attention to a floating barrel, drawing us into the action of this frenetic seascape. Traditionally, a barrel thrown from a ship implied that she was in peril, but its function here is purely decorative. Like the warship, the kaag proudly carries orange, white and blue Dutch flags. The dark passages in the waves hint at the darkness beneath and the perils for all sailors, whether on local errands or fighting for their country.

Display Label

Seascape with Men of War and Smaller Vessels  1670s

Ludolf Backhuysen  1630-1708

Oil on canvas

The writing on the stern of the large vessel on the right seem to identify it as the warship De Vrede, or Peace. Above the ship’s name are three figures, one of which is the winged figure of Peace herself.

De Vrede was an historic ship commissioned by the Amsterdam Admiralty in 1650, shortly after the Republic was formed. It served as a model for a whole series of warships made for the first Anglo-Dutch wars. Although Backhuysen’s painting was made much later, the inclusion of this particular ship indicates its importance in Dutch naval history.

Assheton Bennett bequest  1979.443