of Art in Washington, DC; the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California; and in Massachusetts at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, and the Harvard Art Museum in Cambridge.
national gallery of art
(The National Maritime Museum, Kattenburgerplein 1, 1018 KK Amsterdam; www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl/vandevelde) Before the Storm, c. 1700, oil on canvas, 10 x 17 inches, by Willem van de Velde the Younger, is in the collections of the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.
Van de Veldes’ Legacy Continues in the 21st Century During their lifetime, the van de Veldes were influential among their contemporaries, and evidence of their style and technique can be seen in works by Jacob Knyff, Jan van Beecq, Johan van de Hagen, and the 18th-century painter Charles Booking. Their influence continues even in the 21st century. Award-winning artist Len Tantillo, known for his meticulous and accurate depictions of 17th-century maritime New York, explains how the van de Veldes’ detailed drawings and paintings of vessels and scenes that they personally observed have helped him in his research. “The influence of the van de Veldes on generations of aspiring marine artists is immense. I have personally relied on the work of Willem the Younger so many times it would be difficult to reference them all. In 1673 a rogue Dutch squadron commanded by Admiral Cornelius Evertsen took back the Dutch colony of New York from the English. Among the vessels in his fleet was the 6-gun snouw (sometimes snaauw) Zeehond. That ship was of special interest to me because, after Manhattan was taken, Zeehond was dispatched upriver to take Albany, my city. So, what does a 17th-century Dutch snouw look like? Years ago, while conducting research at the National Maritime Museum in
courtesy len tantillo
Willem van de Velde the Elder’s sketch of a 17th-century snouw.
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Amsterdam on a 17th-century Dutch barque I was interested in painting, I came across van de Velde’s rendition of a snouw. Many years after that trip, when I was looking for inspiration for my 2013 painting of Evertsen’s raid on New York, I referenced that wonderful sketch of Willem’s made from his first-hand knowledge of that vessel. The rest for me was painting.” —Len Tantillo, Fellow, American Society of Marine Artists Raid on New York, by Len Tantillo oil on canvas, 20 x 30 inches. SEA HISTORY 177, WINTER 2021–22