Willem van de Velde the Younger, Detail from A Royal Visit to the Fleet in the Thames Estuary, 1672-94, during recent conservation. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
Join Dr Allison Goudie, Curator of Art at Royal Museums Greenwich and lead curator on The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and the Sea exhibition at the Queen’s House, to discover the renowned artworks of two emigré artists who changed the course of maritime painting in Britain.
In the winter of 1672-73, the two celebrated Dutch artists arrived in London. Willem van de Velde the Elder (1610/11-1693) was renowned for his highly accurate drawings of ships and maritime life. He would even go to sea himself, paper in hand, to capture naval battles as they were raging. His son, Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633-1707) was also a famed painter. From calm coastal scenes to fierce storms, his work captured the many moods of the ocean.
King Charles II offered them a studio space at the Queen's House in Greenwich. There they worked, creating royal commissions, magnificent paintings and tapestries, as well as thousands of detailed sketches, drawings and designs. Now, 350 years after they first arrived, the Queen's House is once again a home for the Van de Veldes.
The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and the Sea is free to view at the Queen’s House, Greenwich until 14 January 2024.
Proceeds from our ticket sales benefit museums, galleries and other arts-based organisations and projects.
This is an online event hosted on Zoom which can be watched live, or on-demand for one month afterwards. You will receive your link to access the event in your email confirmation and the on-demand link after the event ends.