Simon Jacobsz. de Vlieger Rotterdam circa 1600/1 - 1653 Weesp

Bought by the grandfather of the present owner in the 1950s.

This picture dates from the first half of the 1640s, by which date De Vlieger's monochrome style, derived from his teacher Porcellis, had evolved into the silvery tonality seen here.  His compositions from this period, in contrast to his earlier work and the more crowded compositions of his last years, are wilfully empty: large vessels are usually displaced to the side of the composition, as here.  De Vlieger's and Van Goyen's marines, coincidentally or not, show these same characteristics in the same years.