The Shore at Scheveningen, Willem van de Velde
A brisk wind brings a small fleet of fishing pinks to shore, tossed and buffeted by the choppy waves. A fitful sun breaks through the fast moving clouds. It lights up the long curve of the wide bay and the high dunes, but there’s a sense of mistiness, suggesting a fine spray from the sea and soft sand blowing. This is Scheveningen, a small fishing village that was, as the scene suggests, slowly becoming a resort for the wealthy and the bourgeoisie.
The picture was painted when Willem van de Velde the Younger was working with his father, Willem the Elder, and his younger brother Adriaen. Adriaen was largely a figure and landscape painter and the two collaborated quite frequently. The view in this picture is by Willem the Younger but the wagon and figures are the work of his brother.
