Gerrit Pompe Enkhuizen circa 1645 - circa 1700 Rotterdam(?)

Though strongly indebted to Bakhuizen in style, this picture is the work of his close follower, the Rotterdam painter and silk trader Gerrit (Gerard) Dirkcsz Pomp(e), whose unsigned pictures are often mis-attributed to Bakhuizen. Pompe most likely studied under Jacob Gerritz. Loef (1607-1648), as being the only late 17th century marine painter who was active in Enkhuizen [1]. Characteristic of Pompe are the overly-squat proportions of the flagship (with the main and foremast painted as being of equal height) and the heavily delineated rigging.

The flagship depicted is probably the 82 gun vessel De Witte Olifant (The White Elephant), which was the flagship of Admiral Isaac Sweers (1622-1673), who made career in the navy of the Dutch Republic. After the Four-Days Battle he was appointed Vice-Admiral and he took part in Michiel de Ruyter’s celebrated Chatham Raid in 1667. Sweers fought at Solebay in 1672 and died during the Battle of Kijkduin in 1673, whilst commanding De Witte Olifant.  This painting appears to depict the Dutch fleet assembling prior to putting to sea, perhaps before one of the above engagements in the Third Anglo-Dutch War.

[1] see J. Giltaij, Lof der zeevaart, de Hollandse zeeschilders van de 17de eeuw, Rotterdam 1997, p. 376.