Attributed to Adriaen van Diest: A Port Scene – Oil on Canvas

A late seventeenth century capriccio port scene, depicting a British Naval ship and a trade vessel in an imaginary setting.

Listed Dimensions refer to framed size.

Adriaen van Diest (1655–1704) was a Dutch painter, who for most of his life worked in England. Born at the Hague in 1655, the son of Jeronymus van Diest, another painter of seascapes who was his teacher. At the age of seventeen years he moved to London, and became employed by Granville, Earl of Bath, for whom he painted several views and ruins in the West Country in England. Van Diest also painted portraits, but did not meet with much encouragement, although his pictures, particularly his landscapes, possess considerable merit. Horace Walpole stated that there were seven pictures by Van Diest in Sir Peter Lely’s collection. Van Diest died in London in 1704.

He is generally known for his output of architecturally designed pieces, those which are frequently found in old houses, on wainscots, or over doors such as the present example. Mountainous backgrounds are often present. This is a know view which Van Diest is recorded as having painted on a several occasions.