The signature at the lower left is probably false; the painting is no longer considered to be by Rembrandt. There are a number of weaknesses in the drawing, & the application of paint does not always successfully describe the intended form. This suggests it is the work of a pupil rather than Rembrandt himself. On stylistic grounds it may perhaps date from the late 17th century or even the early 18th century. ...

The picture evolved in two main stages: initially the main central scene was worked on & then the support was enlarged all round. The central part of the composition was altered; X-radiographs reveal a group of cottages which was subsequently painted ou ...

The painting is a notable example of a calm seascape conveying an unusual degree of drama. Van de Cappelle was able to achieve to great effect in paint the shimmering water & its reflections. He invents patterns of clouds to complement the placing of the ships, & creates a mood of drama here, with the dark mass of clouds at the top of the painting contrasted with the bright water below. The three main vessels represented are a row barge, to the right, with a prominent dutch ensign, a ferry to the left, & a yacht beyond the barge with its sails unfurled. Its guns are firing a salute & a trumpeter on board is sounding his trumpet. The painting probably represents the welcoming of an important personage aboard a Dutch government yacht. ...

Create your own bespoke print of Claude-Joseph Vernet’s A Shipwreck in Stormy Seas (' Tempête') from our collection. About this painting A Shipwreck in Stormy Seas (' Tempête'), 1773 © The National Gallery, London This painting joined our collection in 2004 With our custom print service, you can order your own fully customised reproduction from the National Gallery Collection & exhibitions. Choose your own size, print material & frames & have your masterpiece delivered straight to your door. ...

The vessel in the centre, with a red & white ensign & flags, is a small Dutch transport vessel (possibly a 'wijdschip'). A ship with a red & white flag at the main is in the right distance. This painting can probably be dated to the late 1640s or ear ...

On the left is a 'smalschip' (a small sprit-rigged transport vessel), with sails set; a 'kaag' (a clinker-built vessel with a straight raking stem) is beached on the right. The painting is a fairly early work, probably dating from the 1650s. ...

This is probably a fragment of a larger picture. The bird appears to be a female sparrowhawk. The artist, who is referred to as a Venetian, worked at courts in Germany & the Netherlands. This is perhaps a late work, from the period when the artist was a ...

The Bridge & Castle of Sant' Angelo in Rome are in the background. The jousting contest has not been identified with any particular occasion. Portraits of Vernet & his wife are said to be included in the picture, presumably the elegantly dressed couple on the right in the foreground. In 1745 Vernet had married Carlotta Cecilia Virginia Joachina (born 1728), daughter of Mark Parker, an Irish Catholic living in Rome. Commissioned by the Marquis de Villette in 1749, & one of several pictures by Vernet which he owned. The painting was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1750. ...

The view is probably a fantasy composed of elements of different buildings seen by the artist in Germany & Holl&. The architecture of the church is typical of the 16th-century style of churches around Cologne & Braunschweig, & also in Franconia, while the building on the left seems more Dutch in character. ...

A stag is surrounded by hounds & by hunters on foot & on horseback in a river in a forest. The figures are noticeably expensively dressed & so they are probably aristocrats. In the Netherlands of the 17th century hunting remained a royal & aristoc ...