The marriage journey of William of Orange and Princess Mary to Holland, 1677. The yachts reaching the coast of Holland, 29 November - 9 December...

This drawing shows a weather quarter view of four yachts close-hauled on the starboard tack off the Dutch coast. On the left is a lee quarter view of one bearing up. The Dutch escort is in the right distance and the English escort is firing a parting salute on the left horizon. An inscription in brown ink has been pasted on the bottom incorrectly and should refer to the yachts as follows, from left to right: uninscribed, probably the 'Portsmouth'; the 'Charlotte' ('de siarlett') with a standard at the masthead; the 'Charles' ('de siarles'), partly covered by the next, the 'Katherine' ('de katarijne'); the 'Mary ('de Marije') with a standard at the masthead. The 'Liefde' ('de liefde'), flagship of the Dutch squadron is in the right background and 'de grahont' ('Greyhound'). An English sixth-rate, is named on the right but not shown. The drawing also bears an inscription copied in ink by van de Velde over pencil '[? 48 erased] al syllende Langs de kust van hollant de schepen van oorlog / nemen verre int verschiet zijnde haer afscheijt ende adieu kanoneeren' (Sailing along the coast of Holland, the men-of-war far in the distance fire a farewell salute). There is a further English inscription in a later hand on the back.

The Elder van de Velde did a series of at least fifty-six drawings of the journey of William of Orange and Princess Mary to Holland, with his son later painting a view of the yachts lying off Erith (NMM BHC0322). He may have done many from the yacht 'Kitchen', which is notably missing from all of them, but was under the orders of Captain Gunman who commanded the 'Mary', since in January 1678 the latter wrote to Sir Joseph Williamson, Secretary of State, recommending van de Velde as 'the person who drew all the sea skipps [seascapes] on board the 'Mary' yacht
Willem van de Velde, the Elder

Original size: 291 mm x 554 mm