17th & 18th Century Marine Painters Dutch, English, French, Italian: an expanding selection listed chronologically by date of death: subject to correction Name Born Place Died Place BRIL, Matthew 1550 Antwerp 1584 Rome BRIL, Paul 1554 Antwerp 1626 Rome van ANTUM, Aart --- --- fl1610-1620 --- PORCELLIS, Jan 1584 --- 1632 Ghent van SOEST, Pieter Cornelisz --- --- fl1640 --- VROOM, Hendrik Cornelis 1566 --- 1640 --- GODERIS, Hans --- Haarlem? fl1620-1643 Haarlem van EERTVELT, Andries 1590 Antwerp 1652 Antwerp de VLIEGER, Simon 1600 --- 1653 --- STOOTER, Cornelis 1620 Leiden 1655 Leiden van ANTHONISSEN, Hendrik 1605 Amsterdam 1656 Amsterdam van GOYEN, Jan 1596 --- 1656? -- de BLOOT, Pieter 1601 Rotterdam 1658 Rotterdam van PLATTENBERG, Matthieu 1608? Antwerp 1660 Paris van DIEST, Willem 1610? --- 1663 --- WILLAERTS, Adam 1577 Antwerp 1664 Antwerp NOOMS, Reinier (ZEEMAN) c1623 Amsterdam c1667 -- BLANKERHOFF, Jan 1628 Alkmaar 1669 Amsterdam MULIER Pieter, Elder 1610 Haarlem 1670 Haarlem SORGH, Hendrick Martensz 1611 Rotterdam 1670 Rotterdam van EVERDINGEN, Allart 1621 --- 1675 --- DUBBELS, Hendrick Jacobsz 1620 --- 1676 --- BELLEVOIS, Jacob Adriaensz 1621 Rotterdam 1676 Rotterdam van de CAPELLE, Jan 1624 Amsterdam 1679 Amsterdam PEETERS, Jan 1624 --- 1680 --- KNYFF, Jacob 1638 Haarlem 1681 London van RUISDAEL, Jacob 1628 Haarlem 1682 Haarlem van de VELDE, Pieter 1634 Anvers after 1687 --- FLESSHIER, B --- Holland 1690? --- van BEYEREN, Abraham 1620 The Hague 1690 Overschie CUYP, Albert 1620 Dordrecht 1691 Dordrecht STORCK , Jan (Johannes) 1620? --- 1693 --- van de VELDE, Willem, Elder 1611 Leiden 1693 London MULIER Pieter, Younger 1637 Haarlem 1701 Milan van der CROOS, Pieter 1620 --- 1701 --- van ANTHONISSEN, Aernout 1630? Leiden 1703 Zierikzee van DIEST, Adrian 1655 --- 1704 --- van de VELDE , Willem, Younger 1633 Leiden 1707 London BACKHUYSEN, Ludolf 1631 Emden 1708 Amsterdam MADDERSTEG, Michiel [some years in Berlin from 1698] 1659 Amsterdam 1709 Amsterdam STORCK, Abraham 1644 --- 1710 --- SMIT, Aernout 1641 Amsterdam 1710 Amsterdam VALE, Robert (Richard?) 1692 London 1716? Mitcham? GRIFFIER, Jan 1651 Holland 1718 England? RIETSCHOOF, Jan Claesz 1652? Holland 1719 Holland SAILMAKER, Isaac 1633 Scheveningen 1721 London van BEECQ, Jan [1672, in England; 1681, in France] 1638 Amsterdam 1722 Amsterdam MAN, L d --- --- fl 1725? --- PLACE, Francis 1647 Durham 1728 York WOODCOCK, Robert 1692 London? 1728 London van de VELDE , Cornelius c1673? Holland? 1730? Holland? van der MEULEN, Sieuwert c1670? Holland 1730? Holland LEEMANS, T. --- --- fl 1730???? --- VALE, Humphrey 1690 London 1730+? London? TILLEMANS, Peter 1684 --- 1734 --- van der HAGEN, Willem --- --- c 1740? --- BASTON, Thomas 1670? London? 1740? --- COOK, J 1700? --- 1745? --- van der HAGEN, Johann 1675 The Hague 1745 Dublin? RIETSCHOOF, Hendrik 1687 Holland 1746 Holland MONAMY, Peter 1681 London 1749 Westminster van HAECKEN, Joseph 1699 Antwerp 1749 London BROOKING, Charles 1723 London 1759 London MANGLARD, Adrien 1695 Lyon 1760 Rome CANALETTO, Antonio 1697 Italy 1768 Italy SILO, Adam 1674 Holland 1766 Holland ALLEN, Thomas 1735? --- 1772? --- SCOTT, Samuel 1702? London? 1772 Bath WRIGHT, Richard 1735 Liverpool 1775 --- CLEVELEY, John, Elder 1712 London 1777 London MELLISH, Thomas 1720? --- 1780? --- SWAINE, Francis 1725? --- 1782 London CLEVELEY, John, Younger 1747 Deptford 1786 Pimlico VERNET, Claude Joseph 1714 Avignon 1789 Paris HOLMAN, Francis --- --- 1790 --- PATON, Richard 1717 London 1791 London SWAINE, Monamy 1754 London 1795? --- de LOUTHERBOURG, Philippe J. 1740 Strasbourg 1812 London DODD, Robert 1748 --- 1815 --- POCOCK, Nicholas 1740 --- 1821 --- WHITCOMBE. Thomas 1752? ---- 1824 --- ANDERSON, William 1757 Scotland 1837 --- TURNER, J.M.W. 1775 --- 1851 --- This list is initially based on the list given in Seventeenth Century Painters of the Netherlands, Col.Rupert Preston, 1974 & 1980. Contemplation of the 91 reproductions in his book induces a sense of despair at ever being able to trace clear, direct influences on the paintings of any one artist. Any of the painters listed above may have used any or all of their predecessors as models. Monamy and his English contemporaries and successors drew on a very wide, long, deep and continuous tradition. A list compiled by the anonymous author of an essay entitled The Art of Painting, published in, I believe, The Universal Magazine, November 1748, mentions 57 "of those painters of our nation, now living, many of whom have distinguished themselves and are justly esteemed eminent masters". This list is given in Whitley, Artists and their Friends, Vol I, p.104, and among recognisable or presumed marine painters are: Monamie (sic), and Scot (sic). A similar list today would probably contain no marine artists at all, and it is interesting to find Monamy and Scott in the company of Gainsborough, Hogarth, Reynolds and Wilson. Even in 1748 there is a sense in which Monamy and Scott were not to be regarded as exclusively marine specialists. Scott was turning to riverscapes after about 1736, and the end of his marine period was probably in sight by this time (to himself, if not to others), but there is also an indication that Monamy's range was thought to exceed the purely maritime, or that his earlier fame entitled him to be distinguished as a justly esteemed master, in spite of being infirm and decayed by 1748. Understanding Paintings: themes in art explored and explained, edited by Alexander Sturgis and Hollis Clayton, was published in 2000. The book's contents page can be read as an indication of the steady decline in esteem of marine painting, down to its present status in the 21st century. There are nine main sections, divided into sub-sections, here in descending order, as follows: Religious Painting (25 sub-sections); Myth and Allegory (16); Portraiture (14); Landscape (13); Genre (12); History Painting (8); Still Life (8); Abstract Painting (8); The Nude (5). Some sort of conclusion has to be drawn from the great preponderance of attention given to religion, myth and allegory, even if it is only a reflection of the predilections of the editors. "Seascapes" are despatched in two pages, one of the thirteen sub-sections under "Landscapes". A comment made in this sub-section is true enough: "That the genre originated in the Netherlands and enjoyed immense and long-lasting popularity in Britain is not entirely surprising. Besides depending on the sea for food, these nations relied, for their wealth and power, on their command of the oceans, and much Dutch and British seascape painting may be linked to the promotion of national interests and identities." The national identity of the British, currently on the point of disintegration, but as it was known to the world for the last three centuries, was finally confirmed in the years 1715-1730. These were the years of Monamy's greatest prominence, and it is relevant to note what Horace Walpole has to say about Painters in the Reign of King George I, ie 1714-1727, as expressed in his Anecdotes, the bible of the English art historian and connoisseur: "We are now arrived at the period in which the arts were sunk to their lowest ebb in Britain." After a passage in which Walpole addresses himself exclusively to portrait-painting, only pausing to dismiss architecture and statuary in a couple of sentences, he goes on: "The new monarch was devoid of taste ..... had he been better known, he must have grown the delight of [his country], possessing all that plain good-humoured simplicity and social integrity, which peculiarly distinguishes the honest English private gentleman. Like those patriots, it was more natural to George I to be content with, or even partial to whatever he found established, than to seek for improvement and foreign ornament." Our elegant author trembles with supercilious disgust as he contemplates the good-humoured simplicity and social integrity of the object of his bile. He proceeds: "But the arts, when neglected, always degenerate. Encouragement must keep them up, or a genius revivify them. ..... I cannot help again advertising my readers, that no reign, since the arts have been in any esteem, produced fewer works that will deserve the attention of posterity." monamy's rise and fall "other famous masters in this manner" other alternatives monamy website index title page top © Charles Harrison Wallace 2003 all rights reserved