Bateaux sur l’Estuaire du Hollands Diep (Boats on the Estuary of Holland Diep, Caught in a Storm), 1640-1650

In the style of the Van de Velde, the Cuyp are a family of Dutch painters from the 17th century. In the work of the young Albert Cuyp (1620-1691) there are Biblical scenes, still lifes and portraits, but he particularly excelled in landscapes. He also created some marine paintings.
The boats are caught in a storm. In the foreground, a barge is lifted by the swell and a sailboat leans dangerously. These elements create a large, powerful line, which crosses the canvas diagonally, supported by the light emerging from the dark clouds. The rest of the composition is academic, with a low horizon, leaving the majority of the canvas to the sky. This painting does not offer the golden light which typically characterised his later landscapes, but instead offers an infinite grey, with subtle blue tones.