The Council of War

During the Golden Age in the Netherlands there was a great tradition of maritime art. Father Willem van de Velde (the Elder) and his son Willem van de Velde (the Younger) became internationally famous with their drawings and paintings. Willem van de Velde the Elder in particular is appreciated by maritime historians for his ‘journalistic’ style of work. For example, he served as a ‘ship sign’ during the Second English War (1665-1667), as we now call it ’embedded’ in the Dutch Fleet that was preparing for a meeting with the English under the command of Admiral De Ruyter. This battle, which took place from June 11 to 14, 1666, went down in history as the Four Days Battle. Van de Velde made a famous pen painting of the Council of War held on board the flagship ‘Zeven Provinciën’, prior to the sea battle, showing the assembled Dutch fleet in an impressive panorama.

It is no coincidence that Maarten Platje developed a plan to create a large canvas with the historic naval council of war in 1666 as the subject. Van de Velde’s grisaille became his starting point. Due to the restrictive circumstances of his time that Van de Velde had to deal with and his urge to apply dramatic effects in terms of wind, sail position and sea state, his pen drawing, no matter how brilliant, did not provide a realistic picture of what happened on that morning in 1666. had played.

With his painting, Maarten Platje has taken up the challenge to recreate the Council of War as a tribute to his famous predecessor and to bring the image of De Ruyter’s fleet back to life in the most realistic and technically sound composition possible.

In Maarten Platje’s painting the men of the Dutch fleet can clearly be seen carrying out the work. A peaceful scene a day before the battle with the English will break out in full force.