A Zeeland States yacht Firing a Salute off the Oude Hoofdpoort, Rotterdam

A picturesque scene of a bustling port, it illustrates well how Dutch life was inextricably linked with the sea for both trade and defence. The painting is filled with every class of marine vessel, ornamented with flags; the stems and sterns of several are enriched with carving. The port is peopled with lively figures which are particularly well drawn. The colouring is rich without being gaudy. Jacobus Storck was probably the elder brother of another marine painter of similar scenes, Abraham Storck (c.1635-1710). While little else is known of Jacobus' life, Abraham is known to have become one of the leading marine painters in Holland after the departure to England of the van de Veldes in 1673.