Portrait of a States Yacht 1664?

A large and rapidly executed drawing of a States yacht viewed from abaft the starboard beam. On the tafferel are the arms of Zeeland on a crowned shield surrounded by the arms of six towns of the province. On the quarter at the counter is a sea god on horseback and the figurehead is in the form of a lion.

Robinson’s attribution to Van de Velde the Elder is doubtful: the foredeck is drawn in the manner of the Younger’s later work. However, the watermark suggests a date of about 1664, a period when the Younger was not doing work of this type.

Object Details

ID: PAI7680
Type: Drawing
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Velde, Willem van de, the Elder
Date made: 1664?
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection
Measurements: Mount: 295 mm x 759 mm