e thought fit to allow the
salary of L100 per annum unto William van de Velde the Elder, for taking
and making draughts of sea-fights; and the like salary of L100 per annum
unto William van de Velde the younger, for putting the said draughts in
color for our particular use; our will and pleasure is, and we do hereby
authorize and require you to issue your orders for the present and the
future establishment of said salaries to the aforesaid William van de
Velde the Elder and William van de Velde the Younger, to be paid unto
them, or either of them, during our pleasure, and for so doing, these
our letters shall be your sufficient warrant and discharge. Given under
our privy-seal, at our palace of Westminster, the 20th day of February,
in the 26th year of our reign."

Many of the large pictures of sea-fights in England, and doubtless in
Holland, bearing the signature _W. van de Velde_, and generally
attributed to the son, were executed by him from the designs of his
father. Such are the series of twelve naval engagements and sea-ports in
the palace at Hampton Court, though signed like the best works of the
younger van de Velde; they are dated 1676 and 1682.

WILLIAM VAN DE VELDE THE YOUNGER.

This eminent artist was the son of the preceding, and born at Amsterdam
in 1633. He had already acquired a distinguished reputation in his
native country for his admirable cabinet pictures of marine subjects,
when he accompanied his father to England, where his talents not only
recommended him to the patronage of the king, but to the principal
nobility and personages of his court, for whom he executed many of his
most beautiful works. "The palm," says Lord Orford, "is not less
disputed with Raffaelle for history, than with Van de Velde for
sea-pieces." He died in 1707.

THE YOUNGER VAN DE VELDE'S WORKS.

Like his father, the younger Van de Velde designed everything from
nature, and his compositions are distinguished by a more elegant and
tasteful arrangement of his objects, than is to be found in the
productions of any other painter of marines. His vessels are designed
with the greatest accuracy, and from the improvements which had been
made in ship-building, they are of a more graceful and pleasing form
than those of his predecessors; the cordage and rigging are finished
with a delicacy, and at the same time with a freedom almost without
example; his small figures are drawn with remarkable correctness, and
touch