Willem van de Velde the Elder

On two joined sheets. Window mounted, and fixed in a modern frame so that both sides are visible. Various very minor light brown stains. Paper a little discoloured, but overall condition good.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In a letter dated 10 January 1985, the late Michael Robinson noted that this drawing must relate to King Charles II's visit to Portsmouth for the launch of the Royal James, on 12 July 1675 (N.S.).   Only one other drawing relating to this trip has been identified, showing ships lying in Portsmouth harbour¹, although another view of Portsmouth, in the Duke of Northumberland's collection, may also have been made at the same time.   

The exact location depicted appears to be the mouth of Freshwater Bay, on the south-west side of the Isle of Wight.  Letters from Henry Saville to the Rt. Hon. Mr. Williamson, preserved in the State Papers Domestic, transcripts of which were provided to the present owner by Michael Robinson, explain the circumstances under which the King's party ended up there, when he was supposed to have been heading for Portsmouth.  Nervous of sailing too close to shore in the very hazy conditions of the day, the party overshot their destination, and as the winds picked up very strongly, they were forced to continue to beat up to windward in increasingly stormy conditions, finally managing to drop anchor for the night off the Isle of Wight.  Once the weather relented, the King went ashore, where he was met by Sir Robert Holmes and taken to Yarmouth for a good dinner.  Yarmouth is located some two miles from Freshwater Bay as the crow flies, on the north side of the same promontory.

This highly atmospheric sheet is extremely unusual in Van de Velde's work, in that it is essentially a landscape.  Although the King's yacht, gamely battling through choppy seas towards the shore, does provide the visual focus for the composition, the artist has devoted considerable energy to the beautifully rendered cliffs and hills of the Isle of Wight.  There are hardly any other Van de Velde drawings in which the landscape features so prominently, and this, together with the way that it allows us to share what must have been a rather traumatic moment for the King, make this a truly exceptional drawing.

1.  London, Victoria & Albert Museum, D 1391-89; see M.S. Robinson, Van de Velde Drawings..in the National Maritime Museum, Cambridge 1958, p. 12