Ludolf Backhuysen

There is not much known about Backhuysen’s early years, but it is known he came from Emden, Germany and set sail for Amsterdam in the early 1650s. He first works as a clerk for the firm of the wealthy merchant Guilielmo Bartolotti van den Heuvel, a fellow native of Emden. He embarked on his artistic voyage as a calligrapher and from 1650 onwards he was also working as a draftsman, producing “pen paintings” or grisailles, in which the influence of Willem van de Velde the Elder is clearly seen.  As late as 1657 and 1660, he is still referred to in documents as a draftsman, and although his earliest dated oil painting was executed in 1658, he did not join the painters’ guild until February 1663. He was mainly self-taught, although he visited the studios of

Dutch marine artists like Allart van Everdingen (1631-1675) and later Hendrik Dubbels (1620/1621- 1676?), to study and discuss the art of painting. He honed his skills and soon gained recognition for his portrayal of the sea. By the late 1660s, admiralties and maritime merchants sought him out for commissions, solidifying his reputation as a gifted painter.

Despite his late start as a professional painter, Backhuysen rapidly gained widespread fame and patronage. The dignified background of Backhuysen and the marriage of several woman of standing in his life also contributed to increase his fortune and ability to attract a wealthy clientele such as Peter the Great of Russia, the king of Prussia, the elector of Saxony, and the grand duke of Tuscany. In the winter of 1672-1673 his main competition the Van de Veldes set sail for England, which would make him the most important marine painter in the republic.