Sketching at sea: Van de Velde the war artist

#AntiqueRoyal"Willem van de Velde the Elder’s eyewitness drawings of naval battles earned him international renown during the 17th century.

“It would have been much like a photojournalist of today going into a war zone – such was the danger Van de Velde was willing to put himself in for the sake of his art.”

Van de Velde the Elder, along with his son Willem van de Velde the Younger, were the leading marine painters of the period.

From their studio in the Queen’s House, father and son transformed marine painting in Britain. Yet their paintings only tell part of the story.

Royal Museums Greenwich is home to almost 1,500 drawings by the Van de Veldes. A Sea of Drawings explores this unique collection, and provides fresh insight into how the Van de Veldes worked. "