A group of nine fishing people RMG PV5184, circa 1655

A group of nine fishing people in the centre foreground a man is depicted in back view with his hands clasped behind his back. On the left and right three women and a man are seated on fish baskets. The women on the left are accompanied by a child. On the far left a man is leaning on a basket. On the right two more men are standing. Inscribed in pencil is '6 (over the head of the child), in en, and in ink voor gront'. Inscribed also, probably in the 18th century, 'vandevelt'. The unsigned drawing’s stylistic resemblance to drawings of similar subjects from the milford collection, now at the nmm, suggest a tentative attribution to willem van de velde, the elder, and a date of about 1655. A group of nine fishing people. Date: circa 1655. Dimensions: Secondary support: 210 mm x 291 mm; Primary support: 145 mm x 220 mm; Mount: 317 mm x 482 mm. Collection: Fine art.