Simon de Vlieger, 'A View of an Estuary', about 1645-50

Holland enjoyed an economic miracle during the seventeenth century, developing from a Spanish vassal state to one of the most prosperous countries in the world. Its fortunes were founded, to a large extent, on the sea. Its trading empire extended around the globe, its merchant fleet was one of the world’s biggest and its navy one of the most powerful, offering protection to both the nation and its cargo vessels.

Here we see two of those men-of-war, or frigates, lying at peace, but with their function abundantly clear: the gun ports are open and their canon protruding. Presumably this is for maintenance or as part of a drill; at anchor in a quiet estuary there would be no other reason to have guns at the ready. The estuary may be the River Maas (or Meuse) with its quayside toll-house on the left edge of the picture. Simon de Vlieger grew up near here in Rotterdam, although by the time he made this painting he had probably moved to Amsterdam. For his customers, the exact location was probably not important. Instead, such a scene would have undoubtedly evoked reassuring thoughts of national security and naval power, and de Vlieger’s contemporaries would have immediately recognised the national flags and insignia displayed on the frigates. The nearer one has the arms of the Province of Holland on its stern and a Dutch flag at the top of the main mast, while we can just make out a Dutch ensign at the stern of the more distant frigate.

The figures standing on the quay in the foreground represent something of a cross-section of Dutch society. Some, smartly dressed, stand and watch; others fish, while the crews of the boats are at work. The largest ship at the jetty is a two-master, partly hidden from view, but those in the foreground are service boats which may be running supplies or people out to the men-of-war. The one on the left is probably a wijdschip, a small, gaff-rigged transport vessel; the two smaller vessels on either side of it are working boats called kagen.

The light on this bright and breezy day comes from the left of the picture. The sun is low and de Vlieger has used it to strong effect, backlighting the translucent sails of the boats against the quayside; they also cast deep shadows across the choppy wavelets in the foreground. As he often did, de Vlieger has signed the painting on a piece of flotsam in the foreground – in this case, it is a floating spar which sticks awkwardly out of the water on the right. There is no date to go with the signature but he probably painted this picture in the late 1640s.