Portrait of Cornelis Tromp (1629-1691)

Dated to 1675 and held by the Dutch Navy Museum, this portrait of Admiral Cornelis Tromp (1629–1691) is an unusual incursion by van de Velde the Younger into the portrait genre. Tromp was one of the most celebrated Dutch naval commanders of the period, the son of the famous Admiral Maarten Tromp killed at the Battle of Scheveningen in 1653, and he fought in all three Anglo-Dutch Wars. By 1675, van de Velde had been resident in England for three years, but he maintained strong connections to the Dutch naval world. Tromp's portrait by a marine specialist rather than a portrait painter reflects the intersection of personal celebrity and maritime expertise — a marine painter was the ideal person to depict a naval hero, because he understood both the man and the ships he commanded. The Dutch Navy Museum in Den Helder holds the country's most significant naval heritage collections.

Canvas portrait with oil, following the conventions of formal Dutch Baroque portraiture — three-quarter length or bust, neutral background, calm direct engagement with the viewer. Van de Velde's marine expertise may manifest in background or incidental details relating to ships or sea.