Diderich de Thurah (1704–1788) was a military cadet, a naval officer in the Royal Danish-Norwegian navy, shipbuilder and fabrikmester, artist and publisher.

[1] He and his younger brother, Lauritz de Thurah, met King Frederik IV when the monarch was visiting Ribe and chose the two boys for military service.

In 1723, Diderich de Thurah received an immediate commission into the Royal Danish navy after presenting a fine carved model in amber of the ship-of-the-line Anne Sophie to the king.

[1] He was reprimanded for exceeding his authority in the shipyard by removing Turesen from the supervision of the building of the ships Jylland[6] and Dannebrog, and ordered to curb his animosity and attend more professionally to his duties.

Very few ships are credited to Deiderich de Thurah by the Royal Danish Naval Museum:[7] He was an artist, known for carving amber and ivory.

[3] A carving in amber of the Judichaer designed ship-of-the-line Dronning Anne Sophie was presented to the monarch in 1723 and was on display in the king's art collection.

[1][Note 4] On leaving the navy, until his death in 1788, Thurah was busy for many years with literary work and translations,[2] particularly in relation to religious art and tracts.