Oude Schelde, Texel Island, Looking towards Nieuwe Diep and the Zuider Zee

Oude Schelde, Texel Island, at the Government Art Collection depicts a scene on the Dutch island at the entrance to the Zuider Zee. Stanfield’s Dutch subjects reflect both his artistic debt to Dutch marine painting and his practical knowledge of Dutch waterways from maritime experience. As a former sailor and celebrated scene painter at Drury Lane, Stanfield brought unmatched practical knowledge of the sea to his marine subjects, and Dickens — his close friend — called him the finest marine pain

The Dutch waterscape features the low, flat terrain and expansive skies characteristic of the Netherlands. Stanfield’s atmospheric handling captures the distinctive quality of Dutch coastal light with the sensitivity of a seasoned marine painter.