For almost 20 years, artist Willem van de Velde the Younger and his father worked in a studio at the Queen's House in Greenwich. One of Van de Velde the Younger's most important paintings, A Royal Visit to the Fleet in the Thames Estuary, has now returned to the Queen's House following an ambitious conservation project. Discover more about this important work, and find out how conservators confront centuries of deterioration with care, craft and precision. The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and the Sea Spot the difference Use the slider to compare the work before and after conservation. Explore the conservation process Blog Art under the microscope Paintings conservation can feel like detective work, analysing tiny flecks of paint to uncover the artist's tools and techniques. What has our team learned during conservation of A Royal Visit? Learn more Treatment The conservation process Find out about the tools, techniques and skills required to preserve Willem van de Velde's ambitious work Find out more Learning Visiting the Fleet Watch what happened when a group of young people went behind the scenes at the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre Watch now The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and the Sea From across the sea, an art revolution is coming. Discover the art of the Van de Veldes at the Queen's House Find out more Shop our exhibition collection Discover gifts inspired by the art of the Van de Veldes, on display at the Queen’s House Shop Buy the book which accompanies the exhibition Painting naval battles, as well as detailed ‘portraits’ of battleships, was the core business of the van de Velde father and son. They had a flourishing art studio in the Queen's House. Shop now Shop Exhibition gifts inspired by the Van de Veldes’ artworks Shop art books, art prints, homewares, sketchbooks, and art supplies inspired by Van de Velde seascape paintings, and the Solebay tapestry displayed at the Queen’s House. Shop now Follow the Fleet Sign up to the art newsletter to discover more stories about the Queen's House collections and our conservation work. Sign up With grateful thanks A Royal Visit to the Fleet is conserved with Art Fund support in 2019, along with the following: Arts Scholars, The Aurelius Charitable Trust, John S Cohen Foundation, The Golden Bottle Trust, Golsoncott Foundation, Girdlers’ Company, The Hartnett Conservation Trust, Charles Hayward Foundation, Historic Houses Foundation, Idlewild Trust, The Leche Trust, The Radcliffe Trust and a private individual donor. Royal Museums Greenwich Close Choose your tickets Queen's House Internationally renowned art Stunning architecture The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and the Sea Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I Free entry Book online BOOK NOW Become a Member Unlimited entry all year Royal Observatory Cutty Sark Planetarium Shows Special exhibitions Direct Debit One-off Individual: £50 Individual: £60 Family: from £60 Family: from £70 JOIN TODAY Member tickets Free and fast-track Museums entry Priority booking Access using your membership card Membership card number required BOOK NOW