When Dr. Waagen visited England in 1835, his sea passage gave rise to
the following exquisite critical observations: “I must mention as a
particularly fortunate circumstance, that the sea gradually subsided
from a state of violent agitation to a total calm and a bright sunshine,
attenuated with a clouded sky, and flying showers. I had an opportunity
of observing in succession all the situations and effects which have
been represented by the celebrated Dutch marine painters, William Van
de Velde, and Backhuysen. Now, for the first time, I fully understood
the truth of their pictures, in the varied undulation of the water, and
the refined art with which, by shadows of clouds, intervening dashes of
sunshine near, or at a distance, and ships to animate the scene, they
produce such a charming variety in the uniform surface of the sea. To
conclude in a striking manner this series of pictures, Nature was so
kind as to favour us at last with a thunder-storm, but not to interrupt
by long-continued rain, suffered it to be of very short duration.”