with inscription or signature (?) ‘H. Kobell f.’ (recto) and ‘Henry’ (verso)
black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash, fragmentary watermark (possibly Pro Patria), pen and brown ink framing lines
15.4 x 19.8 cm

Provenance:
Possibly E.M. Engelberts; Van der Schley et al., Amsterdam, 14 December 1807, Kunstboek A, part of lot 60 (‘Twee Gezigten op de O.I. Compagnies Werf te Amsterdam, met dito [pen en zapverven], door P. [H] Kobell).

According to Van Eynden and Van der Willigen, Hendrik Kobell was already interested in shipping from a very young age. The young Hendrik would draw or make cut outs of ships that he saw in the harbour of Rotterdam or at the river Maas. His father recognized the boy’s artistic talents early on, and arranged that his son received drawing lessons. When Kobell was 18 years old, it had become clear that he was to pursue an artist career (rather than following in his father’s footsteps as a merchant). Throughout his career, Kobell continued to draw and paint maritime subjects and he would become one of the leading maritime artists of his time.

Quickly executed in pen and ink and wash over a rapid sketch in black chalk, this sheet appears to have been executed on the spot. The drawing shows shipping on a stormy day on the river IJ, with Amsterdam in the background. The large building in the centre of the composition is the Oost-Indisch Zeemagazijn on Oostenburg, a huge warehouse belonging to the VOC while to the right the large warehouse at 's Lands Werf can be observed. A more detailed drawing by Pieter Idserdts (1689-1781) depicting Amsterdam from roughly the same position is in the Stadsarchief, Amsterdam. Another large and highly finished drawing by Kobell that also shows Amsterdam from the River IJ (and on which one can also see the Oost-Indisch Zeemagazijn), is in the Scheepvaartmuseum, Amstredam. While many of Kobell’s drawings are highly finished, he did executed more loosely drawn sheets such as the present ones. A group of these can be found, for example, in the Hamburger Kunsthalle.