[Daily Art Study] The Maas at Dordrecht, 1650 by Aelbert Cuyp

[The Maas at Dordrecht, 1650 by Aelbert Cuyp]

Location of Art work:
National Gallery of Art
West Building, Main Floor – Gallery 49

[National Gallery of Art]
Address:
Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20565, United States

Hours:
Sunday 10 AM–5 PM
Monday 10 AM–5 PM
Tuesday 10 AM–5 PM
Wednesday 10 AM–5 PM
Thursday 10 AM–5 PM
Friday 10 AM–5 PM
Saturday 10 AM–5 PM

[Overview]

In July 1646, Dordrecht hosted a grand spectacle: a Dutch fleet of thirty thousand soldiers gathered for the Peace of Münster negotiations. Cuyp’s masterpiece brilliantly captures this moment, with bustling quays, triumphant bugles and drums, and a shipboard cannon roaring to salute the unfolding historical event. In the center, a young officer, likely the painting’s commissioner, stands in a small boat, enthusiastically greeted by a distinguished gentleman and an assorted crew of figures, including a drummer. The mystery of the blue-and-white flag on the ship’s stern adds to the anticipation as the second rowboat approaches with dignitaries and a trumpeter. The ships are ready to depart, sails aloft and flags dancing in the breeze, creating an electric atmosphere in an otherwise serene scene. Embark on this historical journey within Cuyp’s captivating masterpiece.

[Image Description]

A fleet of ships gathers in a river bordered by trees and buildings in this horizontal painting. The low horizon takes up less than a quarter of the composition, leaving a vast pale blue sky filled with clouds. The river is crowded with boats and ships adorned with flags and bustling with people, mainly men in hats and black or brown attire. The largest ship, closest to us on the right, has a rowboat docked to its side, occupied by a seated man in crimson red and a standing man in black, assisted by another man in brown. On the crowded deck above the rowboat, a musician plays a drum, and another enjoys a drink from a flagon. Behind the large ship, the river is filled with vessels with unfurled sails, rowboats, and ferries, while to the left, churches and buildings cluster along the riverbank, and trees line the river to the right.

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