A Row Galley on Fire

Now held by The Box museum in Plymouth, this undated panel by van de Velde the Younger depicting a row galley on fire is an unusual subject within his oeuvre — a small, oared combat vessel engulfed in flames rather than the large sail-powered warships that dominate his work. Row galleys (or rowing galleys) were used in coastal defense and inland waterways; they were less prestigious than ships of the line but played a real tactical role in Dutch and Mediterranean naval operations. Fire at sea was one of the most feared calamities of the period, and van de Velde's treatment of burning vessels — whether fireships used in combat or vessels accidentally ablaze — required him to solve the challenging problem of rendering flames and smoke in oil paint. The Box in Plymouth, a museum combining art and history, holds maritime and military collections appropriate to Plymouth's significance as a Royal Navy base.

Panel with oil — the smaller format appropriate to the intimate drama of a burning small vessel rather than a large fleet action. Fire is rendered through warm orange and yellow impasto contrasting with the dark smoke column above. The surrounding water reflects the fire's glow.