WILLEM VAN DIEST (The Hague, 1610 - 1670) Navy with Vessels Signed: W. V. D on the sailboat in the centre Oil on canvas, 48.2X88.5 cm Provenance: Amsterdam, Christie's, 9 November 1998, lot 41 (as circle of Willem Van Diest) Bibliography: Archived at the RKD under Willem Van Diest, https://rkd.nl/imageslite/404079 Referred to Van Diest's circle, the work was traced back to the artist's catalogue by Raffaella Colace. Willem Hermansz van Diest was a Dutch marine painter who was a follower of Jan van Goyen and gave birth to a dynasty of artists all specialising in sea scenes spanning three generations. His son and pupil Jeronimus (1631-1677) in turn trained his own son Adriaen (1655-1704). The earliest known painting by Willem dates back to 1629. The work is accompanied by a critical file by Raffaella Colace with the attribution to Willem Van Diest.