There is a lot of shipping activity on the choppy waters of the North Sea and the Westerschelde off the important port of Vlissingen. A man-of-war takes in the sails prior to arrival at the port. The warship flies the pennant at the main, which indicates that the commander of a squadron is aboard the ship. In the centre at a distance a barquentine leaves port. A Dutch States yacht is shown in the centre of the picture in stern and starboard-quarter view, towing a ship’s boat bearing the painter’s signature.

The painting may have been commissioned by an official body with maritime interests in Flushing. The port of Vlissingen (Flushing) can be seen in the distance with on the far left the Kleine or Middelkerk and the prison tower. In the centre is the Keizersbolwerk, a fortification built in 1548, which was expanded in the French-Batavian era when it took on its current form. The stronghold included the Waterpoort, or water gate – a fortified gate, leading directly from the town wall to the quay. It enabled people and supplies to reach the fortification directly from the water and allowed those inside the fortification direct access to water transport. At that time the bulwark consisted of a round bastion with a gate that gave access to the city. From this water gate, Emperor Charles V left Dutch territory on 15 September 1556 to settle in Spain forever. A few years later (1559) his son and successor Philips II also left for Spain from Vlissingen Waterpoort.

The clients of  J.C. Schotel consisted of royal houses, institutions, art dealers, and very prominent and private collectors at home and abroad such as:

Tsar Nicolas I Pavlovitsj Romanov, Emperor of Russia, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Finland; Anna Paulowna Oranje- Nassau, Grand Duchess of Russia; Frederik Willem III, King of Prussia; Willem Frederik I van Oranje Nassau, King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg; Frederika Louise Wilhelmina Oranje- Nassau, princess of Prussia, spouse of King Willem I of the Netherlands;  Willem II Frederik George Lodewijk van Oranje Nassau, Prince of Orange, King of the Netherlands.

La Société Royale pour l’encouragement des beaux-arts, a Bruxelles; Teylers Genootschap;  Der ‘Kunstverein’ Hannover

Alexander Pierre Philips Cornelis Robert de Ceva;  Hendrik van Cranenburg; Adriaan van der Hoop; Robert Baron Fagel;  Willem van Loon;  Hendrik Six; Anne Willem Carel Baron van Nagell van Ampsen; Count Jacques- André Coghen; Thomas Leveson Gower Baron Granvill; Sir Robert Peel; John Smith.

Immerse yourself in the life of Johannes Christiaan schotel in his biography.