Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633–1707), Dutch Ships in a Calm Sea, oil on canvas, c. 1655

Join us on Sunday, June 2 at 1 PM for Ships, Shipwrecks, and Art in the Age of Dutch New York, a FREE lecture by Dr. Peter van Alfen.

Following Henry Hudson’s famed voyage in 1609 up the River that now bears his name, the establishment of the Dutch West India Company in 1621, and the settlement of New Amsterdam in Manhattan and other colonies, Dutch ships frequently crisscrossed the Atlantic in search of profit and Spanish booty. Shipbuilding and seafaring technologies rapidly advanced as well with the Dutch introducing new cargo and warship types that for a while were superior to those of other European powers. As seafaring and ship types developed so too did a new Dutch specialty in painting and printmaking: marine art.

Only a handful of 17th century prints exist that illustrate New Amsterdam and ships moored nearby. Nevertheless, in this talk we’ll explore ship developments, including evidence from shipwrecks, and the rich world of 17th century marine art to better understand the vessels that once anchored in our harbor and the ways that artists depicted them.