The Dutch ship Oosterwijk under sail near the shore, in two positions

A grisaille on panel showing the same ship in two positions. On the right is the ‘Oosterwijk’ standing out from the shore. She has a common Dutch flag at the main and a plain flag as an ensign. A ship’s barge can be seen pulling away from her for the shore in the left foreground. On the shore there is a horse and cart, a rider on horseback and several people sitting or standing, surveying the scene. A weyschuit with two men in it is about to reach the shore. On the left is another view of the ‘Ooosterwijk’, this time she is shown running parallel with the shore. She flies the common Dutch ensign. In the right background, is a small ship which may be the ‘Vollenhoven’ as she has a cross with a star in each quarter and a fifth cross in the centre. There are several ships at anchor in centre background and it is possible that one of these may be the ‘Tromp’.

The ‘Oosterwijk’ was an Amsterdam ship of 56-guns built in 1653. She was probably named after Willem van Lyere who was lord of the manor of Oosetrwijk and a councillor in the Admiralty in Amsterdam. She can be identified by the view on her stern which can be interpreted as the country house of Oosterwijk from a drawing of the house by R. Rogham’s in the Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam. Here she is shown as an Amsterdam ship with the arms of Amsterdam and lion supporters at the stern, as well as the crossed anchors and AA of the Admiralty at Amsterdam.

The grisaille is signed ‘W.V.Velde 1654’ on the lower left on plank in black pigment in cursive script on spar.

Object Details

ID: BHC0863
Collection: Fine art
Type: Painting
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Velde, Willem van de, the Elder
Vessels: Oosterwijk (1653)
Date made: 1654
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Macpherson Collection
Measurements: Painting: 915 mm x 1220 mm; Frame: 1105 mm x 1430 mm x 100 mm
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