NEN Gallery

ADAM WILLAERTS (1577-1664)
The Embarkation at Margate of Elector Palatine and Princess Elizabeth
1623

Oil on Canvas

This is an interesting painting in that it does not feature Holland (even though the horizon is dotted with windmills), but Margate in England (yet it was painted by a Dutch artist.). The painting features King James I in 1613 (can you find him?), seeing off his daughter Princess Elizabeth and her husband Frederick, Elector Palatine. The couple are about to board the Prince Royal, a ship built in 1610 for Henry Prince of Wales.

One interesting aspect of the painting is the awkward composition and use of proportion. Much of the painting does not 'look right'. For example the oversized guards to the left of the picture and the people on horseback on the beach. This is a great example to show children that even the best artists do not 'get it right'.

Suggested Activity: Find out about Prince Henry - what happened to him? Can the pupils spot the HP Monograms, Prince of Wales feathers and figurehead of St. George on a horse on the ship intended for the prince?

This painting features in one of the Royal Collection's Dutch Landscapes eLearning resources: http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/dutchlandscapes/MicroMedia.asp?themeid=2223