Dutch Yachts Racing

Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

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In this unusually large painting from the 1630s, van Eertvelt depicts a dramatic scene of Dutch yachts sailing in a stiff breeze off a northern European coast. In the composition the heavy, dark-green rolling waves of the foreground are seen from an elevated viewpoint with single waves rising into curved yet triangular shapes. Here, two men in an open craft attend to an upturned boat. On the far left, a man clings to the hull of a vessel upon which the artist’s initials have been inscribed. Beyond the foreground the perspective changes and, except for the nearest two yachts, all vessels are depicted at eye-level creating the impression of a maze of masts and sails before the horizon. The scene is intensly dramatic and vivid. Sunlight streaming in from the left under the dark rain-clouds accentuates the taut sails, which in turn contribute to the picture’s overall sense of competitive vigour.

National Maritime Museum

London

Title

Dutch Yachts Racing

Date

1630s

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 123.2 x W 201.9 cm

Accession number

BHC0741

Work type

Painting

Inscription description

A. E

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National Maritime Museum

Romney Road, Greenwich, London, Greater London SE10 9NF England

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