JACOB BELLEVOIS (Rotterdam circa 1621 – Rotterdam 1676)
A Sailing Ship Along the Coast of a Dutch Town thought to be Schoonhoven
Signed Jbellevois on the flag on the stern of the ship
oil on panel
12 ½ x 18 inches (32.5 x 46.5 cm)
Jacob Bellevois spent the majority of his life in Rotterdam but did dwell in Gouda and Hamburg for brief periods. Where he received his training is unknown, although Simon de Vlieger has been traditionally suggested. It is believed that he was familiar with numerous examples of de Vlieger’s works, which in turn influenced his paintings.[1]
Bellevois basically favored two types of marine scenes. One format, at the time much in vogue, depicted ships being battered along rocky coasts in rough seas. Our panel is a prime example of his rarer port scenes. As is the case in this work, he often signed on a flag. The serrated upper edges of his flags are a distinguishing characteristic.
The distinctive coastline in our view is believed to represent Schoonhoven which is close to both Rotterdam and Gouda. This same town-profile appears on the horizon in a number of his works’; examples of which are in museums in The Hague, Amsterdam, Dresden, Moscow, Rotterdam and Vaduz among others.[2]
[1] “Jacob Bellevois” on rkd.nl (RKD Explore) website.
[2] Col. Rupert Preston, “Jacob Bellevois” in Seventeenth Century Marine Painters of the Netherlands, F. Lewis Publishers, LTD, Leigh-on-Sea, 1980, p. 9; E.H.H. Archibald, “Jacob Andriaensz Bellevois”, The Dictionary of Sea Painters of Europe and America, Antique Collectors’ Club 2000, p. 199; and rkd.nl op.cit..