Jacht bij een vloot 1622 - 1693

Curator: Ah, a fascinating example of Willem van de Velde the Elder's hand, 'Yacht in a Fleet,' currently housed right here at the Rijksmuseum. It dates, generally, to between 1622 and 1693. It's just pencil on paper. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the light; it's almost silvery. The fleet fades into a distant haze, while closer to the wooden dock it feels like it’s capturing a moment of frenetic industry. It gives me the sense that some grand celebration might be occurring. Curator: Precisely, a grand performance of naval power and mercantile ambition. This rendering encapsulates the prosperity of the Dutch Golden Age through the meticulous depiction of ships—a floating city of commerce. Editor: The precision of those ships, especially considering the medium. Pencil? Imagine the labor, the knowledge. This isn’t just rendering what’s seen, but understanding how a ship is built, how it works within the economic machinery. Did Van de Velde himself spend time aboard these vessels to truly get intimate with the materiality of their construction? Curator: It’s quite possible; Van de Velde was known for his dedication to accurate ship portraits. The details, rigging, hull designs—they were, to him, a testament to human ingenuity and perhaps to an idea of progress he may not have put his finger on directly but nevertheless captures a society convinced they were striding forward. Editor: I keep thinking about what that wooden pier represents. This is how materials get to be the special objects of the elites, of empires. What hands were moving goods on and off those ships? Where were these items being extracted, crafted, or produced, what part of the world or supply chain. I’m always asking: what's missing? What labor, exactly, does this ‘golden age’ rest on? Curator: I get the question and there are those shadows lurking within all of the Golden Age paintings here at the Rijks, the implied narratives. Yet, at the same time, for me it whispers of journeys yet to be undertaken, possibilities still gleaming on the horizon...It still makes my pulse quicken a bit. Editor: And for me, a good reminder to seek beyond the immediate spectacle to unearth the often unseen mechanisms powering those voyages and empires. Thanks for illuminating both the seen and unseen today.