17th Century Dutch School

Oil on wood panel prepared on the reverse, bearing an old inscription "Zeeman" on the back.
17 X 14 cm à vue

Charming little 17th-century Dutch marine depicting a boat scene in a harbor by moonlight. In the foreground, several figures are busy near a moored ship, while a fortified tower dominates the composition. The night sky, animated by clouds and illuminated by a full moon, lends the whole a poetic, silent atmosphere typical of Dutch maritime painting of the Golden Age.

This work can be associated with the circle of Reinier Nooms (circa 1623-1664), an Amsterdam painter and engraver specializing in harbor views, naval scenes and seascapes. Nicknamed "Zeeman" ("the sailor") because of his sailing experience, the artist was particularly sought-after for his compositions combining nautical precision and refined atmospheric effects.
The subtle treatment of light, the finesse of the silhouettes and the construction of the coastal landscape evoke the aesthetics of the small cabinet seascapes produced in the artist's entourage in the mid-17th century.
The panel features an old preparation on the reverse, as well as an old handwritten inscription mentioning "Zeeman", testifying to a historical attribution.

Work presented in an elegant 17th-century carved and redecorated wood frame
Price is unframed
Price of frame: €200

Comparables

"Marinebilder" lot 65 - 16 X 19 cm - Reproduced p. 55 of the catalogue
Price with expenses €4,375
Dorotheum Vienna, Austria on 11/12/2018