Seascape

The first seascapes in the Netherlands were produced in the 16th century. They flourished in the seventeenth century as an independent genre. Reinier Nooms – better known as Zeeman or Seeman, the name with which he signed his work – was mainly interested in ships and the activity surrounding them. This is unsurprising as he himself was initially a sailor…

The first seascapes in the Netherlands were produced in the 16th century. They flourished in the seventeenth century as an independent genre. Reinier Nooms – better known as Zeeman or Seeman, the name with which he signed his work – was mainly interested in ships and the activity surrounding them. This is unsurprising as he himself was initially a sailor and worked as one for the Dutch Merchant Navy. He is also well known for a series of etchings of various types of ship. The Seascape we see here was formerly attributed to Willem van de Velde the Younger of Leiden, who is regarded as one of the most important seascape painters of his day. The Zeeman signature, bottom right on a drifting plank, came to light when the painting was being restored.