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Velde, van de, family of Dutch marine painters and landscapists of the 17th century.
Willem van de Velde the Elder
Willem van de Velde the Elder (1611?-1693) specialized in meticulous black-and-white (grisaille) pictures of ships and naval battles. He was employed by English kings Charles II and James II.
Willem van de Velde the Younger
Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633-1707), Willem's son, became one of the greatest figures of Dutch marine painting. He was retained by Charles II of England to paint naval battles-one of his best portrayals in this genre is the smoke-enveloped Cannon Shot (1660?, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)-but he preferred scenes of ships on a calm sea. In paintings notable for their evocation of light and atmosphere, he portrayed ships with the same attention to detail and elegance that contemporary Dutch portraitists conferred on human subjects.
Adriaen van de Velde
Adriaen van de Velde (1636-1672), brother of Willem the Younger, was a prolific painter of sunny, atmospheric landscapes and beach scenes. His landscape etchings of rural vistas are particularly sensitive, but he also excelled in animal painting and often executed the animal figures in the paintings of other prominent contemporary artists.
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