Lot 1471 Dα

In this large format work, Willem van Diest has depicted the harbour of Amsterdam as an imposing panorama. In the foreground we see sailors going busily about their business on the ships and boats whilst the city is shown silhouetted in the background. Wilhelm van Diest was active in The Hague throughout his entire career, and became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in 1639. In 1656 he founded the “Confrerie Pictura” together with a number of other artists including Jacob van der Does, Jan de Bisschop, Dirck van der Lisse and Adriaen van de Venne. Stylistically, van Diest's works follow in the footsteps of the early maritime painters Simon de Vlieger and Jan Porcellis.