Royal yachts and a galliot at anchor in a calm

The drawing is one of a group of drawings in the collection in pen and ink and wash which van de Velde made to illustrate his method of drawing ships so that they appear in the correct relative sizes when shown at different distances.

It has a ruled horizon in common with PAF7024 and PAF7025, but also has lines of perspective running to a vanishing point on the horizon at the waterline of a distant ship. The lines of perspective are shown to pass through the same points of two exactly similar yachts on the left. To other lines leading to a point on the left were intended to relate to the small vessel on the right, but they have no significance. The drawing is unsigned.

Object Details

ID: PAF7026
Collection: Fine art
Type: Drawing
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Velde, Willem van de, the Younger
Date made: 1700?
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Sheet: 180 x 253 mm; Mount: 403 mm x 555 mm