Willem van de Velde, 'Dutch Ships in a Calm', about 1660

This exquisite little picture evokes the tranquillity of the early morning, perhaps – judging by the low, clear light and puffiness of the clouds – at the beginning of spring. The reflections in the calm water are perfect, undisturbed by the porpoises in the shadow of the vessel with the blue and white flag. A little further out, where an anchored warship waits for a breeze, the haze left by the dawn mist has yet to clear. Men are already at work, but with no sense of urgency – the wind will come when it will. Despite the calm, there would be sound carrying across the water: the splash of oars, the rattle of a rising sail, men’s voices.

The boat on the right is a kaag, an inshore transport vessel with a flat bottom, making the most of what little breeze there is. Two fishing boats appear on the left: a hoeker, its white sail brilliant in the sun, and a fishing buss with the arms of the city of Hoorn on the stern. The striped flag suggests that although the ship was built in Hoorn it is working out of Texel, an island town not far away.

Willem van de Velde the Younger painted this around 1660 with his usual fine, accurate detail in the various craft, flags and coats of arms. He has signed it ‘WVV’ on the taffrail, directly under the golden horn on the fishing buss. The picture was painted for the family studio and was obviously very successful: at least eight other versions of it are known.