Three Sailing Vessels on Calm Waters

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 into a metal plate and bitten by acid. Printed on laid paper, which shows its characteristic chain lines, the work highlights the technical precision of 17th-century printmaking. Prints like this were vital for disseminating art widely, making high-quality imagery accessible beyond elite patrons amid the era's booming print trade. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Department of Prints (CG-E) as a gift from Dr. Klaus Anselm, this piece invites visitors to ponder the calm before the storm of Dutch naval history, evoking the era's economic and exploratory spirit.

About the Artist

Reinier Nooms, called Zeeman · 1623–1664

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...