1 Meddelanden från Nationalmuseum, 39 (1914), p Lugt 2903: Comte Moriz von Fries ( ).

Transcription

1 1 Willem van de Velde (I) Leiden 1611 London 1693 Marine painter and draughtsman. Moved to England in Father of Adriaen and Willem (II) van de Velde, both painters. Willem van de Velde (II) Leiden 1633 London 1707 Marine painter, taught by his father Willem (I) and Simon de Vlieger. First active in Amsterdam, from 1673 in England. The two Willem van the Velde, father and son, collaborated closely for half a century, and distinguishing their hands has proven difficult. The Elder followed the Dutch and English fleets and sketched the ships and their positions in series of panoramas, later to be used for worked out representations of specific events, then in addition relying on ships portraits and verbal descriptions. A specialty of his was grisailles, sought after by an international public. The Younger seems to have had a lions share in the production of paintings based on this material, although he also produced drawings, both ships portraits and sketches made at sea. This is borne out by documentary evidence, showing where the two artists were at a particular moment. It seems that neighther signatures nor inscriptions in their respective hands are always sufficient to determine the authorship. Following the practice in other catalogues, the drawings are here not attributed to one of the two, instead any reasons for a possible attribution are given in the catalogue texts. Several of the drawings were given to the museum by Count Axel Bielke in According to a note in the museum bulletin 1914, they came from the famous collection of Count Fries in Vienna. 1 However his collector s mark is not found on the drawings. 2 1 Meddelanden från Nationalmuseum, 39 (1914), p Lugt 2903: Comte Moriz von Fries ( ).

2 2 [Velde, W] #1 English Yatchs lined up at Erith for the Departure of William of Orange Graphite, 248x624 mm. NM 61/1876 Verticall joint in the centre, but the chain lines show that this was originally a fold. There are brown stains along the joint. Dark shadows and repairs on the verso mark three more vertical folds, one to the left of centre, two to the right. Lighter areas where the paper has been covered by the old passepartout. Watermark: Fragment of Fleur-de-lis (Heawood 1794). Chain lines: 31 mm. Inscribed in the upper left corner 1677 mandagh. No.6, pen and brown ink. Numbered 12 at the top centre, pencil. At the bottom, below each ship a letter, from left to right: a, n, K, p, m, f., pen and brown ink. Verso: N:o 6 hier vertreckt de koning den duck en al het eedeldom mest / de 2 flaghe jachte, de mari en sarlot sijn hier nue de voorste / sijn majestijt gepasseert sijnd de andre jagde, komt in de laeste schep daer sij kanveren (?) / int Eerschot voor de koning, pen and brown ink. Provenance: Gift from Count Axel Bielke Bibliography: P. Haverkorn van Rijsewijk, Villem van de Velde de Oude, Oud Holland, 20 (1902), p. 230; Lugt , II, no. 806; M. S. Robinson, Van de Velde drawings. A catalogue of drawings in the National Maritime Museum, I, Cambridge 1973 (1958), p. 95; M. S. Robinson, The Van de Velde drawings in the Boymans-van Beuningen museum, Rotterdam 1979, I, p. 69; M. S. Robinson, Van de Velde. A Catalogue of the paintings of the Elder and Younger Willem van de Velde, Greenwich 1990, II, p Exhibitions: Stockholm 1953, no. 198, as the Elder; Stockholm, 2005, no. 186, as the Younger. William of Orange married Mary, daughter of the Duke of York on November 4, The King and Duke accompanied the couple to Erith on the Thames, when

3 3 the newly wed departed for Holland on November 19, a Monday, boarding the yachts Mary and Charlotte. Father and son van de Welde arrived at Erith several days before and began to record the fleet assembling there. At least 56 drawings covering the event are traditionally attributed van the Velde the Elder. They cover the whole journey of the couple as far as the arrival in Holland. The larger part is devided between the Maritime Museum in Greenwich and the Museum Boymans-van Beuningen in Rotterdam. A few drawings are in other collections. In particular the embarcation at Erith, showing the yacht Mary in the centre, is recorded in a drawing in the British Museum. 3 A painting signed by Willem the Younger in the National Maritime Museum in London also depicts the event; it was probably painted in Next in order would be a drawing in the Louvre, still with the yachts Mary and Charlotte in the centre. The present drawing shows the Mary on the far right alongside the Charlotte under sai,l leaving Erith, both seen from the stern. The situation is similar in the next drawing (Cat. no. 2). The situation depicted in the drawing is described by the artist on the back of the sheet: this is were the King leaves the Duke and all the nobility, the two flag yatchs (Mary and Charlotte) are up ahead. The rest of the text is difficult to interpret, but it seems that the King is passed by the other yachts, then the last ship is mentioned and a salute (Eerschot) for the King (The texts transcribed by P. Haverkorn (op.cit.), and corrected and completed, but not fully understood, by Dr. Martha Muusses for the exhibition in The letters marking the ships are a Anna n Navy, K Katrijn (Cathrine), p Portsmouth, m Mari (Mary), and s Sarlot (Charlotte). In the second drawing the names of the ships are written out. According to a letter by the commander of the Mary, written in January 1678, the Elder van de Velde was onboard this ship and recorded the events from there. Robinson therefore concludes that the two drawings in Stockholm were made by van de Velde the Younger, who was left behing. This seems reasonable, except for the remote possibility that the Elder boarded the yacht later, since the travellers went ashore and visited Canterbury, and then boarded again at Margate. In particular the sketches made the days preceeding the embarcation now in Rotterdam 5 are in the same manner as the two drawings in Stockholm. However, a large number of the drawings are worked out in greater detail, as in the case of the Louvre drawing of the embarkation at Erith. According to Robinson, these drawings were possibly made in order to show to a presumptive client, so it is not a simple question of different hands. 3 L. Binyon, Catalogue of drawings by British artists and artists of foreign origin working in Great Britain, London , no. 22; E. Croft-Murray & P. Hulton, Catalogue of British drawings, Vol. 1, XVI and XVII centuries; Supplemented by a list of foreign artists drawings connected with Great Britain, by Chr. White, London 1960, no Robinson, op.cit., pp. 64ff, no Nos ; Robinson, op.cit., 1979, I, pp. 69f.

4 4 [Velde, W] #2 English Yatch on the Thames Black chalk, grey wash, 260x640 mm. NM 62/1876 Vertical folds. An irregular, almost vertical tear in the centre. Watermark: Fragment of Fleur-de-lis (Heawood 1794). Chain lines: 31 mm. Inscribed in the upper left corner 1677 mandagh d.19/ novenber No.8, pen and brown ink. Numbered 6 at the top centre, pencil. At the bottom, below each ship a barely visible letter a, n, L, j, f, m, g, in pencil, expanded in pen and brown ink d. an, d nafi, katrijn, porsmout, sarlot, meri, grauhont. Inscribed on the verso (the two lines are cut off): ning nu uijt gesight, het geheel neu bij den andre / alle voortsettinge wat sij konnen dit het laest Provenance: Gift from Count Axel Bielke Bibliography: P. Haverkorn van Rijsewijk, Villem van de Velde de Oude, Oud Holland, 20 (1902), p. 230; Lugt , II, no. 806; M. S. Robinson, Van de Velde drawings. A catalogue of drawings in the National Maritime Museum, I, Cambridge 1973 (1958), p. 95; M. S. Robinson, The Van de Velde drawings in the Boymans-van Beuningen museum, Rotterdam 1979, I, pp. 69, 121f; M. S. Robinson, Van de Velde. A Catalogue of the paintings of the Elder and Younger Willem van de Velde, Greenwich 1990, II, p Exhibitions: Stockholm 1953, no. 199, as the Elder; Stockholm, 2005, no. 187, as the Younger. Se the preceeding drawing. This is the second drawing depicting the departure of Wilhelm of Orange and his bride from Erith on Monday, November 19, The Mary and the Charlotte are here also on the far right, proceeded by the Greyhound and followed by the Portsmouth. These ships are closer to the two

5 yachts compared to the previous drawing. The inscription on the rear states that the King is now out of sight, but some words are missing and the rest of the meaning is not clear. 5

6 6 [Velde, W] #3 A Large War-ship Surrouded by Small Boats Graphite, grey wash, 190x233 mm. NM 63/1876 Vertical fold left of centre and some discolouring along it. Watermark: Letters HIS (fragment). Chain lines: 28 mm. Provenance: Gift from Count Axel Bielke Exhibitions: Stockholm 1953, no. 267, as the Younger; Stockholm, 2005, no. 185, as the Elder. The drawing is evidently cut out from a larger sheet, similar to the two previous drawings.

7 7 [Velde, W] #4 Fishing Boats in the Harbour, Large Vessels in the Roads Graphite, point of brush in grey, grey wash, 228x363 mm. NM Z 372/1957 Watermark: Fleur-de-lis. Chain lines: 28mm Provenance: Unknown. Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1967, no. 263, as the Younger. The composition is similar to that of a painting in a private collection A fishing pink ashore and several vessels off the end of a pier. 6 6 M. S. Robinson, Van de Velde. A Catalogue of the paintings of the Elder and Younger Willem van de Velde, Greenwich 1990, I, p. 452, no. 165).

8 8 [Velde, W] #5 British Two-Decked Man-of-War, Starbord View Graphite, grey wash, 206x540 mm. NM 65/1876 Brown stains, in particular in the upper right corner. Vertical fold in the centre. Laid down. Illegible inscription (probably by the artist) in the upper right corner, pencil. Signed in the lower left corner W. V. V. J, pen and brown ink. Provenance: Gift from Count Axel Bielke Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1967, no. 262, as the Younger. A fairly undecorated ship, it does not have a prominent figurehead at the prow, but the quarter-gallery is crowned by the figure of St. George slaying the dragon. A rope-ladder hangs down to a small boat at the stern. The signature is that of Willem the Younger.

9 9 [Velde, W] #6 British Two-Decked Man-of-War, Port View Pencil, grey wash, 280x530 mm. NM 66/1876 Some tears and discoloring along the right border. Laid down. Inscribed in the lower right corner the Wales (?), and remains of a signature (?), pencil. Provenance: Gift from Count Axel Bielke Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1967, no. 258, as the Younger. The richly carved figure head features a lion, Hercules (or Neptune) and Britannia on a chariot. It resembles the figure head of the Royal Sovereign, as drawn by Willem the Elder in A floral frieze runs along the side. There are double quarter-galleries, the forward one crowned by a rearing horse. With such rich decoration the ship must have been important. Perhaps the name was the Wales, as is written in the lower right corner. 7 M. S. Robinson, Van de Velde drawings. A catalogue of drawings in the National Maritime Museum, I, Cambridge 1973 (1958), pl. 164, no. 736.

10 10 [Velde, W] #7 British Two-Decked Man-of-War Pencil, grey wash, 234x490 mm. MM, Ö 4109 Provenance: Acquired in Amsterdam 1912 Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1967, no. 260, as the Younger. The three drawings by van de Welde in the Maritme Museum were acquired together with some prints in Amsterdam. It is tempting to assume that the letters CR (Carolus Rex) on the stern led to the puchase, being possible to identify with the Swedish monarch Charles XI. More probable is that the letters refer to Charles II of England, and that this is a British ship. It resembled the Resolution. 8 On the stern is a coat of arms, flanked by rampant lions. 8 M. S. Robinson, Van de Velde drawings. A catalogue of drawings in the National Maritime Museum, I, Cambridge 1973 (1958), I, p. 376, no. 540.

11 11 [Velde, W] #8 Two-Decked Man-of-War Graphite, grey wash, 255x508 mm. MM, Ö 4110 Vertical fold in the centre. Extensive foxing. Provenance: Acquired in Amsterdam 1912 Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1967, no. 259, as the Younger. On the stern is a standing female figure with one arm raised, on the rail above a seated female.

12 12 [Velde, W] #9 French Two-Decked Man-of-War Graphite, grey wash, 305x390 mm. MM, Ö 4111 Inscribed in the upper left corner Linije K, pencil, and 1667 bij sluijck gemaeckt t sardam, pen and grey ink (the underlined words added in brown ink). Provenance: Acquired in Amsterdam Bibliography: M. S. Robinson, Van de Velde drawings. A catalogue of drawings in the National Maritime Museum, I, Cambridge 1973 (1958), I, p Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1967, no. 261, as the Younger. This is the portrait of one of ten ships that French governement ordered in Holland in September Six ships seem to have been delivered. The inscription on this drawing states that the ship was build by Sluijk at Zaandam in On the stern are the arms of France and Navarre.

13 13 [Velde, W] #10 Naval Ships in a Storm Graphite, grey wash, 226x509 mm. NM 60/1876 Brown stains, a patch of blue paint in the sky near the right margin. The graphite is pressed deeply into the paper to make stronger accents, but in addition to that the rows of cannons on the ship in the left foreground seem to be indented. Watermark: Letters HIS. Provenance: Gift from Count Axel Bielke Exhibitions: Stockholm 1953, no. 266, as the Younger; Stockholm, 2005, no. 183, as the Younger. Stylistically close to a drawing in Greenwich The Dutch fleet scattered by a gale, according to the inscription on it, depicting an incident taking place of the Dogger Bank on 30 August/9 September It records De Ruyter s voyage to Bergen in the autumn of that year. 9 Willem the Elder was on board, but the Greenwich drawing could have been made afterwards and not necessarily by him. This is even more true of the present drawing, and it it is not even certain 9 M. S. Robinson, Van de Velde drawings. A catalogue of drawings in the National Maritime Museum, I, Cambridge 1973 (1958), no. 887, pp. 16f and 70, as by the Elder.

14 14 that it has anything to do with the voyage to Bergen. From the visit of the Dutch fleet to the waters of Norway there are a number of drawings preserved in Rotterdam. There are both sketchy panoramas of the fleet and the coast, and more worked out drawings, similar to Velde the Elder s grisailles. 10 A grisaille is in fact preserved, half of it in Greenwich, the other half in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. A signed and dated drawing by van der Velde the Younger in Greenwich is for a ten foot long painting made for Commodore Bitter 1666, according to the inscription M. S. Robinson, The Van de Velde drawings in the Boymans-van Beuningen museum, Rotterdam 1979, I, p. 39, II, p Robinson 1973, I, p. 66, no. 289.

15 15 [Velde, W., circle of] #11 Naval Battle Graphite, pen and brown/grey ink, point of brush in grey, grey and blue wash, 130x260 mm. NM Z 363/1957 Stains in the upper left corner, a small loss at the upper right. Framing lines in black ink, parly over previous lines in pencil. Watermark: Letters LR. Chain lines: 25 mm. Signature (?) in the lower right corner WVVJ, pen and grey ink. Provenance: Rosersberg Castle. Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1967, no. 263, as the Younger. The contours drawn with the brush are somewhat hesitant and heavy, the sinking ship and the small boat with the oars out have been retouched with hesitant strokes in brown ink. The signature is curiously placed halfway outside the drawn area. This is possibly an imitation or a fake.

16 16 [Velde, W., circle of] #12 A War-Ship and a Dutch Fishing Boat Black chalk, 205x318 mm. NM THC 3252 The sheet has been trimmed but there are remains of black framing lines. Watermark: Fleur-de-lis. Chain lines: 25 mm. Incribed in the lower left corner Jan van Goïen (struck out), pen and black ink. Mark of the Royal Collection (Lugt 1638). Provenance: Kungligt Museum (Lugt 1638). The two vessels put side by side are clearly out of proportion. Most likely they have been copied from one or several paintings or drawings.

17 17 [Velde, W., circle of] #13 War-ships at Anchor Graphite, point of brush in grey, grey wash, pen and brown ink, 190x233 mm. NM 64/1876 Laid down. Provenance: Gift from Count Axel Bielke Exhibitions: Stockholm 1953, no. 268, as the Younger. The composition is oddly unclear. A large part of the ship on the extreme right is missing, and a faint outline indicates that a cloud of gunsmoke would come here. The ships in the centre are executed in a minature like manner with the point of brush, while part of the rigging is in pen and brown ink, as are the oars of the little boat to the right. It gives the impression of a hesitant and unfinished copy or imitation.

18 18 [Velde, W., circle of] #14 Ships in a Storm Pen and brown ink, grey wash, 216x365 mm. NM 59/1876 The pen lines have been bleeding slightly in places. The paper is damaged at the upper centre and to the upper left. Lower right corner missing. Laid down. An erased inscription in pen and brown ink is barely noticable in the lower left corner. Provenance: Gift from Count Axel Bielke 1876, as Porcellis. The attribution to Porcellis seems unjustified.