(bapt. Amsterdam, 25 Jan. 1626; bur. Amsterdam, 22 Dec. 1679). Dutch marine and landscape painter. He was a wealthy Amsterdam dyer who painted in his spare time, but there is nothing of the Sunday painter in his work. Typically his paintings show handsome vessels on calm rivers or seas; they have a grandeur of composition, a limpid quality of light, and an exquisite sense of tonality that place them among the finest marine paintings of any time or place. Cappelle also painted winter landscapes and beach scenes. His work is fairly rare; the best collection is in the National Gallery in London. He used his wealth to make a remarkable art collection. An inventory of it drawn up after his death lists some 200 paintings and more than 7,000 drawings, including 500 by Rembrandt.