Explore our collection of gifts accompanying our new exhibition, The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and the Sea. These gifts will appeal to enthusiasts of the art of The Van de Veldes, naval art, marine painters, seascape paintings, and paintings of ships. Or treat yourself to a souvenir of your visit to Royal Museums Greenwich.
This stunning range of art books, art prints, homewares, and art supplies celebrate the stunning collection of Van de Velde paintings, drawings, sketches, and the newly conserved Solebay tapestry, now on display at Queen’s House in Greenwich. The Van de Veldes worked from their studio in the Queen’s House Greenwich for twenty years.
Willem van de Velde the Elder and his son, painter Willem van de Velde the Younger arrived in London in the winter of 1672-73. While the Elder specialised as a ship’s draughtsman, van de Velde the Younger trained as a painter. King Charles II gave them studio space at Queen's House in Greenwich. Here, they created royal commissions of outstanding maritime paintings, comprehensive sketches, and drawings. The works of these world-renowned Dutch painters depict ships and maritime life from costal scenes to naval battles.
Willem Van de Velde the Elder also made the designs for the famous Solebay tapestry in this studio. One of a series of tapestries, it details a sea battle, known as the Battle of Solebay in May 1672, off the coast of Southwold Bay in Suffolk. The wall tapestry was commissioned by Charles II to record the battle and celebrate the English Navy. Thanks to a record-breaking response to a 2022 crowdfunding campaign, Royal Museums Greenwich has been able to conserve this remarkable piece and preserve it for future generations.
Willem van de Velde the Elder and his son Willem van de Velde the Younger became the most famous and influential maritime artists of the 17th century and were instrumental to the birth of English marine painting. Their contribution transformed British maritime art.
Visit our exhibition The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and the Sea at the Queen’s House from 2 March 2023