13.3 Sea Pieces on a Limited Budget
Even though there were no public art galleries in the 18th century, there was a wider interest in painting. Those who were not lucky enough to visit the gallery of someone like Dundas or the Duke of Bridgewater could learn about works from those collections through prints. Possibly the most important maritime printmaker is Elisha Kirkall (c. 1682-1742), who moved from Leeds to London in 1702. That city developed into an important centre of print production during the 18th century. Publishers and engravers marketed prints of important paintings in collections that were closed to most people. Kirkall became known there for his refined de mezzotint technique, which allowed the rendering of subtle shades of grey. In 1725, he announced in a number of newspapers that he wanted to publish a series of sixteen 'Chiaro Oscuro' prints after paintings by 'that celebrated Master William Vanderveld', printed on grey-green paper [11].19 Such reproductions were relatively cheap compared to a painting, but that does not mean everyone could afford to buy them. The series was to cost 1 guinea, an amount for which a workman had to work for more than a week. It didn't do Kirkall any harm financially, it made him a thousand pounds richer, according to George Vertue's notes.1 Taken together, the Kirkall prints offer a good picture of what a large audience appreciated in Van de Velde: ships in stormy weather, sea battles and spectacular ship portraits. And one of them would thus have delighted Turner.2
Pierre Charles Canot (c. 1710-1777) followed Kirkall's example later in the 18th century. He was a versatile graphic artist who excelled in maritime printmaking. He was French by birth and worked in London from around 1735. Prints after paintings by marine painters were popular, by living artists such as Richard Paton (1717-1791), for example. However, Canot also worked to publish prints after paintings by older maritime masters. Among them are prints after Ludolf Bakhuizen and reproductions after Willem van de Velde. Canot made etchings on the basis of at least six different paintings by Van de Velde, including one in the Dundas collection (published in 1765) [12]. He gave them titles that referred to weather conditions at sea, such as 'A Brisk Gale' and 'A Light Air of Wind'. Apparently, these sea views continued to appeal to a wide audience long after Van de Velde's death.
What insight does all this provide about the popularity of the Van de Veldes in England in the 18th century? That Turner and earlier English marine painters held him in high esteem has long been known and has been extensively described in numerous publications on marine painters. Furthermore, it is clear that there were certainly collectors who felt that a Van de Velde should not be missing from their collection. But in many cases, he seems to have been considered a sub-top artist, less important than the Premier League of history painters, especially from Italy. That difference in appreciation is also reflected in the prices people paid at auctions for Van de Veldes: hefty sums sometimes but usually significantly less than for history pieces by Italian baroque artists. Finally, Van de Velde also appears to have been popular among less well-to-do art lovers. Not the poorest, but people who could afford a guinea for a series of mezzotints after famous paintings, by Kirkall, or comparable amounts for an engraving by Canot.
11
Elisha Kirkall after Willem van de Velde (II)
The royal visit to the fleet in the Thames estuary, 6 June 1672, c. 1725
London (England), British Museum, inv./cat.nr. X,6.127
12
Pierre Charles Canot after Willem van de Velde (II) published by John Boydell
A Brisk Gale, dated 1765
Amsterdam, Het Scheepvaartmuseum, inv./cat.nr. A.0149(0753)
Notes
1 The British Museum owns a complete set, once owned by Hans Sloane, for which he subscribed. See also fig. 3.
2 Vertue Note Books III, p. 113.
3 See above, introduction, note 5.