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Simon de Vlieger,
Estuary at Dawn, c. 1640/1645, National Gallery of Art, Washington,
Patrons' Permanent Fund and Gift in memory of Kathrine Dulin Folger
1997.101.1 |
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Throughout
the history of art, a seafaring ship has been a metaphor for man's journey
through life. For the Dutch patron, a quiet scene like Estuary at Dawn
celebrated the harmony of man in the natural world, working and prospering
with God's blessing. Here two
workers apply pitch (tar) to the hull of a ship as dark
smoke rises from a vat of hot pitch nearby. The jetty on the sandbar
balances the rowboat, and in the near distance a large
ship fires off a salute. As dawn's rays break through drifting clouds,
all is in balance. For the Dutch, particularly in the first half of the
seventeenth century, life was good: the sea with all its resources brought
a "Golden Age" of prosperity and calm to the nation.
 
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