Shipping Scene from the Collection of Alexander Nisbit

1720s

Elisha Kirkall after Willem van de Velde the Elder

Associated Names
Elisha Kirkall

Artist, English, c. 1682 - 1742

Willem van de Velde the Elder

Artist After, Dutch, 1611 - 1693

This image shows a seascape from a high vantage point. A serene horizon sits about one-third from the top. Large clouds are on the left. Various sailing ships are on calm waters, their sails catching the wind. The brushstrokes are soft and delicate, creating a tranquil scene. The color palette is muted with teal and gray dominating. Two figures are on the shoreline, and more vessels are in the distance. One ship emits smoke, hinting at activity. The composition balances human activity with the vast sea and sky.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    mezzotint and etching printed in green and black on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Paul Mellon Fund

  • Dimensions

    plate: 32.5 x 40 cm (12 13/16 x 15 3/4 in.)
    sheet: 38.5 x 45.9 cm (15 3/16 x 18 1/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2001.118.17.3

  • Series Title

    Shipping Scenes

Associated Artworks

See all 17 artworks
This is an artwork featuring Neptune in a sea scene. The top half shows Neptune riding a shell chariot pulled by two horses, holding a trident. Various mythological sea creatures and tritons blowing conch shells surround him. A large sailing ship is to the left, with a coastal cityscape in the background. The lower section displays a decorative letter or document with ornamental scrollwork, maritime symbols, and flowing script, indicating it is a receipt or contractual agreement illustrating a historical transaction.

Subscription Receipt (Neptune and Juno)

Elisha Kirkall

1720

Shipping Scenes

Elisha Kirkall

1729

The image shows a maritime scene with sailing ships on the water. The horizon is low, and various vessels are present, suggesting a naval standoff. A ship with billowing sails is prominent in the foreground, with other ships in the distance partially obscured by smoke. The water is depicted with swirling brushstrokes, creating a sense of movement. The color palette is mainly blues and greens, with an overcast sky and soft clouds merging with the sea.

Shipping Scene with Man-of-War

Elisha Kirkall

1682

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Dukes of Devonshire, Chatsworth (Lugt 719); (sale, Christie's London, 1984, no. 165); Christopher Lennox-Boyd; (Nicholas Stogdon, Oxford); purchased 2004 by NGA.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

lower left in plate: W. Vanderveld pinx; lower center in plate:E Collectione Alexandri Nisbet Pictoris; lower right in plate: E Kirkall Fecit

Wikidata ID

Q76338701

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