Antique 17th Century Dutch - Spanish Netherlands Golden Age nautical/historical oil painting of a merchant ship. The subject is a coat of arms in the upper left with a crest on a shield that is a symbol of the Dutch Spanish Netherlands, with a large merchant ship that is flying the flags of the Dutch East India Company, (VOC), (a chartered trading company that operated between 1602 and 1799). The Dutch East India Company was created to merge six small Dutch East India companies and end the competition in the spice trade with Asia. The Dutch East India Company, known as the VOC (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie), was founded by charter in 1602 and was the world's first multinational corporation. Initially, the VOC aimed to profit from the East Asian spice trade, which was already dominated by the Portuguese. In the 16th century, the Portuguese had established a vast trading network with settlements in Sri Lanka, India, and China, and the Dutch initially purchased spices from Portuguese merchants. However, following the Spanish annexation of Portugal in 1580 and the fall of Antwerp in 1585, a key spice trade hub, the Dutch began seeking ways to obtain these valuable goods directly. Over time, the VOC established a monopoly on international trade, facilitating the transport of millions of goods between Europe and Asia over its nearly two-century-long operation.
The oil painting is on a 16th-17th century ship wood panel, made of a ship's wooden planks), that appears to be from a door on the ship or a hatch. Verso, there is a metal tag on the wood with serial numbers, a pine tree symbol, and the letters BC (likely British Columbia). Additionally, there is writing verso "MD-110".
There is a painting of a ship that looks very similar to this painting in the Palacio Nacional de Sintra, (the National Palace of Sintra, also known as Town Palace), where almost every King and Queen of Portugal spent time, and is now a historical house museum. The image of the painting in the Palace of Sintra is the last image and was found behind a hidden panel on the ceiling in the Galleys Room of the museum. In the museum, the meaning of the painting, (and this one is not known), but perhaps were commemorations of different merchant ships for the royal family. The information and images are also online with images (for the comparison painting) in the Palacio Nacional de Sintra/Town Palace in Sintra.
https://www.parquesdesintra.pt/en/digital-resources/discover-the-collections-of-the-palaces/national-palace-of-sintra/galleys-room/
The painting is in good overall condition, and the paint is stable. The paint is all original; (there have been no known restorations or overpainting). There are a couple of chips of missing paint, (shown within the images), and there is some discoloration as the painting has not had a professional (chemical) cleaning. Verso, some of the planks were originally constructed with 17thC unfinished nail spikes, (as shown in one of the images). The painting's measurements are approximately 31.5"L X 23"H. The painting is fairly heavy due to the old wood panel. The painting is estimated to have been made approximately between 1650- 1714.
Willem van de Velde the Younger from the Golden Age of the 17th century is potentially a good candidate for the artist.
Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633–1707) is one of the most renowned Dutch maritime painters of the Dutch Golden Age. His works often captured the grandeur of Dutch naval and merchant fleets, especially VOC ships, and he was known for his detailed depictions of sailing ships in action. His father, Willem van de Velde the Elder, was also a distinguished maritime artist, and together they documented naval battles and ship portraits that became historical treasures. There is a similarity between this painting and the artist's drawings and illustrations of merchant ships of the VOC.
The estimated date of creation around 1650 aligns well with the active period of Willem van de Velde the Younger, making him a strong candidate for the artist of this type of painting. Many of his works were commissioned by wealthy merchants and officials connected to the VOC, and they often used ship materials such as wooden panels to create these artworks. This connection between the artwork and the ship is also quite characteristic of this period.
