Three Sailing Vessels on Calm Waters
c. 1656
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 13.1 × 20.5 cm (5 3/16 × 8 1/16 in.) sheet: 14.1 × 21.2 cm (5 9/16 × 8 3/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dr. Klaus Anselm
Accession Number
2018.28.2
Art Historical Context
In the serene expanse of *Three Sailing Vessels on Calm Waters*, artist Reinier Nooms known as Zeeman ("sailor"), captures quiet majesty of maritime life around 1656. This etching on laid paper, measuring modest 13.1 × 20.5 cm, exemplifies Nooms' mastery of marine subjects during the Dutch Golden Age. A specialist in ships and harbors, Nooms—active in Amsterdam—produced lively depictions that celebrated the Netherlands' seafaring dominance, from trade fleets to naval victories. Etching allowed Nooms to render intricate details of hulls, rigging, and reflections with fine, fluid lines incised ...
About the Artist
Reinier Nooms, called Zeeman
Reinier Nooms, known as Zeeman ("sailor" in Dutch), was a prominent Dutch maritime painter, draftsman, and etcher of the Golden Age, born around 1623 or 1624 in Amsterdam and dying there in 1664 at about age 40. Before turning to art around 1643, he led a rough life as a professional seaman, which informed his unparalleled accuracy in depicting ships, ports, naval battles, and coastal scenes—knowl...