A beautifully painted marine scene of a boat being launched from a Dutch shore by Pieter Cornelis Dommersen. In the foreground, fishermen can be seen heaving a boat into the water as others look on. Beyond the beach, a number of ships are shown moored next to a windmill whilst further ships are depicted sailing around the harbour.

Pieter Cornelis Dommersen was born Pieter Cornelis Dommershuizen or Dommerhershuisen on 6 December, 1833 in Utrecht, Holland. Little is known about his father and he appears to have been brought up solely by his mother Cornelia into an artistic family. His younger brother was the artist Cornelis Christian Dommersen (1842-1928). His mother and other brother Thomas later became friends with Lawrence Alma-Tadema when he visited Holland.

Dommersen made his debut in 1853 exhibiting at galleries in The Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Having already established himself as an artist specialising in marine and coastal scenes he made the decision to move to England in 1855 with his brother Cornelis. He anglicised the family name to Dommersen as a matter of convenience, but although he became a British subject, this was never changed by deed poll.

He married Anna Petronella Sijnja, from Amsterdam on 29 January 1859 and together they had 4 children. His eldest son William Raymond Dommersen (1859-1927) became a marine and landscape artist. The family initially lived in the Brixton area of London before moving to Hackney. He continued to exhibit in Holland but from 1865 exhibited at the Royal Academy, Royal Society of British Artists and the British Institution. He also exhibited at other smaller galleries including the Old Bond Street Gallery.

By 1881, Dommersen had moved to the East End area of London living at Buxton Road in West Ham. However, by the turn of the century he had moved to 3 Woodlands Road in Leytonstone where he spent some considerable time. Although he based himself in England, he also travelled extensively around Europe to Belgium, Holland, France and was often accompanied by his son on his painting trips. Dommersen died in Hexham, Northumberland on 18 November, 1918.

Examples of his paintings can be found at the Amsterdam Museum, Brighton & Hove Museum, The Hague Museum, Northampton Museum, Rotterdam Museum, Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and the Utrecht Museum.