VAN DE VELDE, Willem - CORBETT, Julian S.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Views of the Battles of the Third Dutch War. First edition of these superb views of the battles of Solebay and Texel, some of the largest naval conflicts of the Age of Sail. The plates were based on drawings supposedly produced by Willem van de Velde the Elder, known for his impressive compositions of ships at sea, although were more likely made by another working from preliminary sketches.Corbett's accompanying text examines the origins and authority of the drawings, given to the Navy Records Society by the Earl of Dartmouth (William Heneage Legge, 1851-1936) to be reproduced. Van de Velde was employed by the Dutch navy as an artist at many battles, including Solebay and Schooneveld. His drawings of these conflicts are held at the British Museum and the Boymans Museum; some were also made into tapestries to hang at Hampton Court. Very few of his works were bird's-eye views like the Earl of Darmouth's pieces. There is also no evidence that van de Velde was present at Texel. Corbett proposes a theory that the first Earl of Dartmouth commissioned van de Velde to make sketches of the Battle of Texel, which were then corrected by officers present at the engagement. The preliminary sketches were perhaps then modified by a tapestry draughtsman to create the earl's drawings, accounting for the thicker strokes and decorative colouring.This discussion is followed by an order of battle of the Dutch and British Fleets, an examination of the strategies pursued, and a detailed description

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