Willem van de Velde the Elder
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Willem van de Velde (c. 1611, Leiden – December 13, 1693, Greenwich) was a Dutch painter. In his youth, he was a sailor. His speciality as a painter was ships, and he was the official artist of the Dutch fleet for a period.
In 1672, Willem entered the service of Charles II of England, at a time when the Netherlands was at war with England.
His sons Willem van de Velde, the younger and Adriaen van de Velde were also painters.
