Zeilen door de grote storm

This painting titled “Zeilen door de grote Storm” (sailing through the great storm) is an example of one of Willem Jan Pieter van der Does'es most celebrated subject of painting, which is a sea landscape. The painting is signed by the artist on the lower right corner area, and measuring around 15 x 26.8 in. This painting in indeed one of the rare painting painted by the artist, because this painting does not only depict one subject, but rather two different subject, one is a sailing ship and the other, a steamboat. Both painted subject seems to be seen trying to pass through the heavy wave, in the dark and stormy ocean. This painting is an example of a rare depiction of subject in the 20th century Dutch impressionist period, even in the common depiction of art world. This painting not only shows unique subject, but it also displays many wonder throughout every inch of its painted area.

Painted with an impressionistic style, this painting shows a very detailed and abstract impressionistic handling of a brushwork. This painting was once been exhibited in the 1920s exhibition of East Indies impressionist movement, in the G. Kolff & Company (largest books manufacturer in colonial East Indies at that time), in Weltevreden, Batavia. Ships subject by Willem, has always been sought after by many of Does'es collectors, for example one of Does'es painting depicting a sailing boat in the middle of a river, was sold for around $20.000 in 2010, and also there are few of van der Does'es works are held in a public museum in the Netherlands, including scheepvaartmuseum and tropenmuseum which are both located in Amsterdam. This painting is now in a private collection.

• Bartholomeus Hendrico, Willem van der Does "Monet of the Dutch East Indies"