Willem van de Velde the Younger

Earl of Aylesford (L.58);
possibly his sale, London, Christie's, 18 July 1893, in lot 284 (to Mr Pither)

Laid down on the early backing (pre-Aylesford Collection). Diagonal crease across top right corner. Some light surface dirt and staining. Otherwise good and fresh. Chalk and wash still in excellent condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The 96-gun first-rate St. Andrew, built in 1670 to replace an earlier ship of the same name that was burned in 1653, saw action in most of the main battles of the Third Anglo-Dutch War of 1672-4, and appears in a number of paintings and drawings by both Van de Veldes, depicting these events.  A portrait drawing of the vessel, seen from the port quarter view, is in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris,¹ and another, slighter portrait is at Greenwich.² Also at Greenwich is the 1673 painting, The English Ship of St Andrew at Sea in a moderate breeze with other Ships, a horizontal variant of which is in a New York private collection.³

1.  See F. Lugt, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts Paris, ...Dessins des Ecoles du Nord, vol. I, Paris 1950, p. 84, no. 687
2.  See M.S. Robinson, Van de Velde Drawings...in the National Maritime Museum, vol. II, Cambridge 1974, pp. 34, 82-3, no. 1087, reproduced pl. 90
3.  See idem, The Paintings of the Willem van de Veldes, 2 vols., Greenwich 1990, vol. II, pp. 933-6, nos. 301 and 302.