Battle of Schevenigen, 10 August 1653

This drawing illustrates the battle of Scheveningen in its final stages. The English fleet is depicted close-hauled on the port tack and in pursuit of the Dutch. In the left middle-distance is Jordan, the Vice-Admiral of the blue (bla visdr) and his Admiral, Lawson, in the 'George', astern and to leeward of him. The latter is incorrectly inscribed 'blau adr pen'. In Lawson's wake, Monck sails in his Resolution; she is aback and without a main topsail but she is hoisting another. She is thus identified by the inscription: 'Monck sonder groot marseijl/ & hissen een ander na boven'. Coming across the bow of the 'Resolution' on the starboard tack, is the Vice-Admiral of the red ('roo visadr'), Peacock in the 'Triumph' and under her stern on the starboard tack, the Admiral of the White ('Wadr'), Penn in the 'James'; the new Rear-Admiral of the White ('W Schout bij nacht de 2de') - Graves was killed and the flag was shifted - is on the port tack on Penn's lee quarter. In the centre foreground are stern views of three ships, one of which has the royal arms on her tafferel. In the right foreground, a starboard bow view of two English ships with only their mizzens standing; in the background a number of other ships disabled, including Hendrik Bitter's ship the 'Mercurius' sinking, accompanied by the inscription, 'bitter hier geschonken'; an English ship burning ('brandend engels schip') and the 'Garland' recaptured and set alight ('de roosekrans van ons Inde brant'). In the distance on the right, the Dutch fleet before the wind.
Willem van de Velde, the Elder

Original size: 650 mm x 1560 mm