b. about 1626 Amsterdam, The Netherlands, d. 1679 Amsterdam, The
Netherlands Jan van de Cappelle's paintings are relatively rare.
He was wealthy and occupied full-time running his father's
dyeing business. Though he painted some beach scenes and winter
landscapes, most of his paintings represent the mouths of wide
rivers or quiet inner harbors, where groups of ships are
anchored in glassy waters. Full cloud formations hang over calm
waters that mirror colorful reflections, often in early morning
or evening. Few of Van de Capelle's works are dated, but his
style changed somewhat over time. His early paintings have a
silvery-gray tonality, while his more colorful paintings were
made after 1650. At his death, Van de Cappelle's estate was
worth more than 90,000 guilders, and he left substantial
holdings in real estate, as well as a pleasure yacht from which
he probably made sketches for his paintings. He assembled one of
the finest art collections of his time, which included works by
Jan van Goyen, Frans Hals, an