Dutch Ships in Distress off a Rocky Coast by Ludolph Backhuysen, 1667

National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

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This highly dramatic scene of Dutch ships facing seemingly eminent destruction by the raging sea is a prominent example of Backhuysen’s abilities to theatrically portray the forces of nature. Despite the great danger the sailors continue a heroic battle for survival. The ship in the centre seems to be already in control. Her sails are reefed and she steers leeward from the murderous rocks. The ship at the right, however, is still drifting towards the coast with her masts crippled. Uncontrolled she is on a collision course to the ship in the center making the latter’s escape far from certain.

A contemporary observer could read morale from this painting. Man’s pride symbolized here as mighty sea-going ships can still be humbled by the elemental forces of nature or, in the eyes of a Calvinist Dutchman, the will of the almighty God.

This painting was commissioned in 1667 and today is on display in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

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Shipping on the IJ by Amsterdam, by Ludolf Bakhiuzen

(Scheepwart op het IJ bij Amsterdam)

Emden, Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum Emden

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A study for this etching is located in the British Museum, London. From left to right are shown a flute, a ketch, a vessel of an unknown type, a rowboat, a man-of-war, and a smalschip.

Shipping on the Maas by Rotterdam, by Ludolf Bakhiuzen, 1701

(Scheepwart op de Maas bij Rotterdam)

Emden, Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum Emden

(image 2835 x 2144,  3.06 MB)

On a beam in the water in the lower left corner there is a date, 1701, written mirrored. The leeboard of a yacht in the right is also inscribed, “LB”.
From left to right we see a boom rigged barge, an English yacht, an English frigate and a boeier yacht.

Both drawings bear a signature:

L. Bakhuizen fec: et exc: cum Privil: ordin Holland: et West Frisiae.

Sources: #zlschpn#

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Koopvaardijrede ten Zuidoosten het eiland Texel
The merchant shipping anchorage southeast of Texel by Ludolph Backhuysen, 1661
Private collection

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This painting shows the merchant anchorage off the island of Texel, where ships of the Dutch East Indian Company (VOC) used to gather before setting sail for East Indies. In the center there are three vessels, a boyer, a kaag and a pink, full of people loading cargo. The smaller boats are delivering supplies to the larger boyer, while its crew is busy hoisting sails.

The scene is full of dynamism in the style that distinguishes Backhuysen from his contemporaries.  The light-colored sail directs viewer’s attention to the events on board of the pink where a family of one of the departing mariners is captured in the height of excitement.

This is one of the several tranquil sea views by Backhuysen, which were inspired by works of Simon de Vlieger,Willem van de Velde the Younger, Jan de la Capelle and Hendrik Dubbels.

Source ID: #backhlm#

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Schepen op de rede van Amsterdam
Ships in the Roads of Amsterdam, ink on panel 75x140cm
Koninklijk College Zeemanshoop, Amsterdam
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This ink painting by Ludolph Backuysen shows the river IJ crowded with ships as it is viewed from the north bank. In the left side one can see the Amsterdam Admiralty’s depot. The ship in the centre shows its decorated stern and can be identified. The carved female figure personifies Freedom, so this must be the Vrijheid. The stern of the ship in the right is also visible, and it is possible to recognize the arms of Amsterdam. However, there have been many ships built at Kattenburg shipyard named after the city, and there is no way to tell which one is shown here. Unlike Willem van de Velde Buckhuysen did not attempt to capture exact features of individual ships, but adapted and combined details of different vessels. In this work he tried not just to portray precisely the reality but to express the peace and prosperity of Amsterdam. While the themes of struggle on land and at sea are more common to the 17^th century art, this painting evokes feelings of harmony.

Source ID: #backhlm#

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The Eendracht and a Dutch Fleet of Men-of-War before the Wind

by Ludolph Backhuysen (Ludolf Backhuizen), ca. 1670-75

The National Gallery, London

(image 1920×1200 px733KB)

A Dutch battle fleet and its flagship the Eendracht (Dutch for Concord or Unity) are the subject of this impressive work by Ludolph Backhuysen. The Eendracht was built in 1653 – 1655 in Rotterdam at the Admiralty of de Maze and her construction costs were shared by all seven provinces of the Republic. She had served as a flagship for Admiral Jakob van Wassenaer van Obdam during the Swedish Campaign of 1658-1659 and later participated in the Battle of Lowestoft on June 3^rd 1665 where she blew up causing much disarray among the Dutch thus contributing to the English victory. On this painting she is shown flying a long tricolor wimple indicating the presence of an admiral on board.

The depiction of the Eendracht’s ornate stern here is not accurate. In reality the lion was carved rampant and set within a fence symbolizing the borders of the Dutch Republic that he protected. This inaccuracy suggests that the painting was created after the loss of the Eendracht, probably in the early 1670s. This painting is on display in the National Gallery in London.

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The Warship Briele on the Maas before Rotterdam

By Ludolf  Bakhuysen, 1689

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

In the center of this painting is the Brielle, a 50-gun warship sailing by the Admiralty Buildings in Rotterdam. Her stern is decorated with a shield bearing the portrait of William III, Prince of Orange, with arms of England and Scotland on either side. The main mast is flying the flag of the Prince and a splitted pennant. To the right is a VOC yacht (possibly with Princess Mary, the Prince’s wife, on board) firing a salute. Two boats are accompanying the yacht, one of them is under the flag of the States-General. In the background one can see Rotterdam: the western and the eastern New Main Gate to the Leuvehaven, the St. Lawrence Church, City Hall and the old warehouse of the Admiralty.

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The Frigate "De Ploeg" on the Ij in Amsterdam

By Ludolf Bakhuizen (ca. 1685-1695)

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

The Ij is a river, formerly a bay, that is known for being Amsterdam’s waterfront. On this painting Amsterdam is seen in the background behind merchant vessels and men of war including the frigate De Ploeg in the front.

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The Merchant Shipping Anchorage in the Texel with Texel Island and Oude Schild to the North West

By Ludolf Bakhuizen

National Maritime Museum Greenwich

The setting for the picture is the merchant shipping roadstead off the eastern coast of Texel, one of a group of northern islands guarding the entrance to the Zuider Zee. Texel Island can be seen ahead with the village of Oude Schild to the far right. The channel between the islands into the North Sea is on the horizon beyond the merchant ship furthest left. A group of three large ships is shown in the middle distance. To the left is a fluyt under sail with a larger ship passing, hidden beyond and to the right. Further back, a Dutch warship lies at anchor. Another fluyt lies at anchor on the far right. In the foreground, a group of small craft, typical of Dutch inland waterways, is tossed about by the boisterous weather. On the left, a wijdschip, with a weyschuit or punter, is lowering its sail in the immediate foreground. Another wijdschip is seen from the stern under billowing canvas, under the stern of the fluyt. On the right a kaag, a common type of ferry boat, is running before the wind with sprit-rigged mainsail and foresail.

The artist has intentionally arranged a cross section of coastal craft in the painting to demonstrate the significance of the sea. Bakhuizen was initially a calligrapher in his native Germany before moving to Amsterdam. There, he was inspired by the grisaille drawings of van de Velde, the Elder. Later, he was introduced to marine painting in oils in the studios of van Everdingen and Dubbels. He was a contemporary of van de Velde, the Younger and shared with him a concern for painting ships with accuracy and understanding. The painting is signed.

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