Group of brigs at anchor in a harbour<br><p>By contrast with Groenewegen's highly finished watercolours made for sale to collectors, this loosely handled and sketchier drawing is a more personal record of observed reality. It is the largest and most free in handling from a group of 56 small studies of Dutch shipping in the Museum's collection. 
</p><p>Groenewegen spent all his life in Rotterdam, living just outside the town on the Westzeedijk. Like his father he was a ship's carpenter, but took up art when, as a young man, he lost part of his leg in an accident. He made drawings from 1779 until his death in 1826, and etched 84 illustrations of ship types.<br></p>
Group of brigs at anchor in a harbour
<div class="fn value">
Gerrit Groenewegen</div>
circa 1810 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1810-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902</div>
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