Dutch Ships in front of a Southern port - Jan Abrahamsz. Beerstraaten

Oil on panel
Also on the RKD: nr. 5259

Dimensions:90 x 125 cm

Dominating the canvas, a group of sturdy Dutch ships proudly sail upon the sea. One vessel in particular steals the spotlights, its cannon seems to be going off. Its power echoes across the water. A smaller boat floats between the ships, ferrying passengers to or from one of the other boats.
The attention to detail draws the eye towards the distant mainland. Towering against the skyline stands a magnificent church, its spire reaching towards the heavens. Behind this, a panorama of rolling hills and mountain peaks appear.
Beerstraaten’s known oeuvre consists of paintings and drawings with dated works from 1642 to 1666. He likely started his career painting landscapes before focusing more on seascapes and harbour views from the early 1650s onwards. He regularly depicted subjects relating to the trade with the BAltic and beyond. He dwelled in circles where he could recruit clients for this subject matter.
He traveled through the Netherlands, documenting his visits in still-reserved drawings. It is also known that he traveled to Norway and Sweden, it could be possible that he included influences of those landscapes in his work. Typical for Beerstraten is the decidedly un-Dutch fall of light on the water and the imposing cloudscape.