Willem van de Velde, the Younger

Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633–1707) was a prominent Dutch marine painter, son of Willem van de Velde the Elder. He became the foremost marine painter of his era and was appointed court painter by Charles II of England in 1677. Van de Velde the Younger was commissioned to paint England's naval battles, and many of his works are displayed in London's National Maritime Museum. His father, who also painted marine subjects and collaborated with his son, sailed with the Dutch fleet to depict their engagements with the English. Adriaen van de Velde, another Dutch painter and son of Willem van de Velde the Elder, specialized in landscapes and animals, and occasionally painted figures in landscapes by other artists. The van de Velde family's work falls within the Baroque period of European art.123