Amsterdam  ? 1623/24 – 1664 Amsterdam

Note

Reinier Nooms also known as Zeeman or Seeman (Dutch for “sailor”), was a Dutch maritime painter known for his highly detailed paintings and etchings of ships. From the 1650s, Nooms started producing and initially publishing a series of etchings of ships and topographical views. This etching work is characterized by great refinement and was used by many other artists as an example. Nooms was probably born and died in Amsterdam, but no records survived. From 1643 he started painting and drawing following a rough, drunken life as a sailor. It is not known how he acquired his skill as an artist. His knowledge of ships is evident from his work: ships and foreign locations are depicted with high accuracy and in great detail and served as an example to other artists of how to depict ships.

It is not clear where and when he married Maria Moosijn from Bruges, but the couple had two daughters baptized in 1653 and 1655.

He was as a drawer on the fleet of Michiel the Ruyter in 1661 in the Mediterranean Sea to protect the Dutch merchant Fleet against privateers from the Ottoman Empire.

The calking of ships, in Dutch kalefateren, created a perfectly sealed seam and a watertight skin for ships.
Nooms was quite fond of this subject with a ship on its side and the fire in front of it to put the soft, hot tar into the seams. He made several paintings and one print with the subject.

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