A frigate and a yacht.

A frigate and a yacht sail in Danish waters in this 1835 marine painting, representing the nautical subjects that occupied an increasingly important place in Eckersberg"s later career. Denmark"s maritime identity made naval painting a natural subject for the country"s leading artist, and Eckersberg applied his analytical precision to the observation of ships, rigging, water, and atmospheric effects with the same commitment to accuracy he brought to portrait and figure painting.

The ships are rendered with technical precision that reflects Eckersberg"s careful study of naval architecture and rigging. Water surfaces are observed with analytical attention to reflections, wave patterns, and the effects of wind. The sky occupies a generous portion of the composition, with cloud formations rendered with the same precise observation as the ships below. The palette is dominated by the blues, grays, and whites of sea and sky.