A Dutch Man-o-War under full Sail - Rafael Valls

1627

Medium

Oil on Panel

Status

In Gallery Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-150499

With a single warship dominating the composition at the head of a squadron, in this painting Simon de Vlieger celebrates the tremendous power and spectacle of the Dutch navy. Dated 1627 this picture was made during final phase of the Eighty Years' War when de Vlieger would have been around 27 years old. The navy was the great pride and bulwark of the fledgling Dutch Republic which had been in and out of war with Hapsburg Spain for so many years (and many more years to come). Like all Dutch Man-o-Wars the foreground ship displays a roaring red lion figurehead (also known as States Lion). This picture was painted towards the start of de Vlieger's career with the earliest known work by him dated to 1624. In January of 1627 de Vlieger's marriage is recorded in Rotterdam, presumably his residence. This suggests that Rotterdam could be the home port of the ship in this painting with a patriotic local market in mind for the artwork. While many of de Vlieger's later marine pictures depict ships in storm-tossed seas, fishermen in their sloops, or beach and harbour scenes, this work is more static and focusses on the engineering marvel of the Dutch frigate. The little sloop in the background has been added to emphasize the grand scale of the warships which dwarf it. The cluster of well-dressed men on the deck appear to be engaged in conversation rather than ship duties which suggests that the ship is on a ceremonial excursion. Perhaps this is the virgin launch of a new ship which would explain the great attention to detail which de Vlieger has lavished on it.