A Zeeland States yacht firing a salute off the Oude Hoofdpoort, Rotterdam
This painting by Jacobus Storck entitled 'A Zeeland States yacht firing a salute off the Oude Hoofdpoort, Rotterdam' painted around the 1670s is a lively picture of a bustling port. It captures the movement of the sea and wind well and the colours are still fresh and vibrant. All the Dutch flags flying from masts and the general liveliness of it speak of self-confidence and national pride. #SUBHEADING#Painting ships#SUBHEADINGEND# Marine painting was a difficult genre for painters to master. Not only did they have to be a good painter, they had to have a detailed knowledge of the structure of ships, of seamanship and of the sea. The behaviour of ships in the wind and certain conditions had to be depicted just right, as you could guarantee there would always be someone who would point out all the mistakes, just as the last paint stroke was drying. With that said, this painting is interestingly less detailed than other 17th century, Dutch specialists and later painters. Storck seems a bit more relaxed in his paint strokes and approach, which would be this paintings success, depicted a real port. He seems to have captured the invisible wind remarkably well, with the sails, flags, clouds and leaning ships all suggesting a brisk wind from the left of the picture. #SUBHEADING#Jacobus Storck#SUBHEADINGEND# Jacobus Storck (1641-c.1688) was born in Amsterdam and is known to have been working there in 1684. He is considered to be the older brother of the more prolific and longer-lived Abraham Storck. A relatively small number of pictures have been attributed to Jacobus and these suggest that he visited various places in the Netherlands, including Antwerp and Rotterdam, such as this picture. Jacobus Storck's entire career has been reconstructed from signed and dated paintings, rather than documentary evidence. #SUBHEADING#Dutch Golden Age#SUBHEADINGEND# 17th century provides works of art that became very popular in English collections in the 18th century, especially landscapes and marine paintings. It wasn't just the quality of work that was produced in the Dutch Republic that left a lasting influence, it was the quantity too. The average Dutch man in the 17th century was wealthier than his counterpart in any other country, including England. And like any maritime state that made money in this period, slavery formed part of that wealth, along with spices such as nutmeg and cloves. #SUBHEADING#The Yacht's of Rotterdam#SUBHEADINGEND# All this wealth and self-confidence naturally led to the flourishing of art, with more money for commissions and general purchasing. This Zeeland states yacht on the right of the painting is a pleasure boat. 'Yacht' is a Dutch term that came into the English language at the time of Charles II. Traditionally a yacht is a 'vessel of state, usually employed to convey princes, ambassadors or other great personages, from one kingdom to another'. With cannons firing a salute in a statement of self-confidence and prowess, is this painting the record of an important visit or a celebration of a merchant's wealth, depicted just off one of the busiest ports in Holland? All the other boats in the picture are commercial vessels and the Oude Hoofdpoort is itself, a major gateway to business. Hull has strong links with Rotterdam, and many goods are shipped across the world to Rotterdam and then across to Hull docks. With these strong links across the water, it is no surprise that here at the Ferens we have a particularly good collection of Dutch works.
