Pieter van de Velde

With Saam Nijstad, Lochem & The Hague, in 1957;
From whom acquired by M.J. Countess van Lynden van Sandenburgh (1903-1983), The Hague;
Thence by descent to the present owners.

This charming group of four maritime scenes is the work of Peter van de Velde, a Flemish painter active in Antwerp. Painted on copper, these enigmatic cabinet pictures demonstrate the artist’s remarkable ability to capture and condense the atmosphere of a passing storm on an intimate scale. In each dynamic scene, resilient Dutch vessels navigate through turbulent waters and sailors seek shelter along the sandy shoreline. Though his works typically feature similar views of shipwrecks and turbulent seas, Van de Velde eventually favored calmer temperments and capriccios of Italianate harbors. In composition and techique, his tonal seascapes such as these often evoke the influence of Jan and Bonaventura Peeters.