Sipkes-- Joseph — Galiot (ship) - Joseph Sipkes, 1831

Galjoot lensende in storm, de bramstengen gestreken [Galiot in a storm, its top gallant masts lowered] watercolour with pen and washed ink by Joseph Sipkes. Signed and dated in the lower left “J. Sipkes, 1831”. Size approx. 11,5 x 14,5 cm. (In frame: 29,5 x 34 cm.) A galiot was a type of Dutch or German merchant ship of 20 to 400 tons (bm), with a rounded fore and aft like a fluyt. Galiots had nearly flat bottoms to sail in shallow waters. These ships were especially favored for coastal navigation in the North and Baltic seas. To avoid excessive leeway, or leeward drift due to their flat bottoms, smaller vessels were usually fitted with leeboards. Little is known about the marine painter Joseph Sipkes (1787-1852) except that he worked in Amsterdam at the beginning of the 19th century. In addition to a number oil paintings, he made beautiful ship portraits in watercolour. Price: Euro 575,- (incl. frame)