Follower of Abraham Storck, 
Dutch 1644-1708- 

The Mock-fight on the River Y, Amsterdam, in Honour of Peter the Great, 1 September 1697; 

oil on canvas, bears pencil inscriptions on the stretcher bars, bears old label numbered '106' attached to the central vertical stretcher bar, 56.8 x 70.4 cm. 

Provenance: 
Private Collection, UK. 

Note: 
Tsar Peter the Great (1672-1725) made a celebrated trip to the Netherlands in 1697, at the age of 25. Travelling incognito as 'Pieter Michaeloff', he moved into a humble dwelling in Zaandam, the centre of Dutch ship-building, which had been prepared for the young monarch by the Dutchman Gerrit Kist, the Tsar's only confidant amongst the Dutch people. His express purpose was to observe the craft of ship-building as it was practiced by the Dutch, then renowned the world over as shipwrights on the cutting edge of the naval technology so essential to commerce, defense and national prosperity. Accordingly, the day after arriving in Zaandam he signed up as an apprentice carpenter in the shipyard. Betrayed, however, by his exceptional height, the Tsar was unable to keep his identity secret and Zaandam was soon swarming with crowds of people intent on seeing the ruler of Muscovy. Within seven days, having relinquished any hope of carrying out his original intention in peace, the Tsar set sail for Amsterdam, where his visit to the city was celebrated with fireworks and jubilation, culminating in a maritime review and a mock sea battle designed to delight the ship-loving young Tsar. The event attracted great crowds, and the inscription accompanying a print recording the event by Caspar Luyken (1672-1708) describes 'the mighty roar of guns and the spectators who had come to watch' (see J. Giltaij and J. Kelch, In Praise of Ships and the Sea, Rotterdam and Berlin, 1996, pp. 394-7). 

A painted composition was developed by Abraham Storck immediately after the event, and proved so popular that he conceived a number of autograph versions, including pictures today at Waddesdon Manor [National Trust 8080], at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich [BHC0926], and the Nederlands Scheepvaartsmuseum, Amsterdam: its enduring appeal is evidenced in the present work. Painter I de Beer (fl.1750-1777) also painted a slightly smaller version, which appeared at Christie's, London, 7 December 2011, lot 139. This composition vividly evokes the scene. No fewer than 41 ships took part, and Peter was so delighted by the display that he transferred to a vessel which was constantly in the line of fire. In the present work, Peter the Great's ship looks to be  - possibly - at the harbour in the right distance.