The Battle of the Texel, 11-21 August 1673

The Battle of Texel was the last battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War, 1672-1674 between the Dutch on one side and the English and French on the other. It represented the final attempt by the Allies to destroy the Dutch fleet and leave the coast free for an invasion of Holland from the sea. Of the many pictures painted by van de Velde of this battle, this is the largest and regarded as the most important. On the left of the painting several ships of Lieutenant-Admiral Cornelis Tromp's squadron are shown. Just visible on the extreme far left is the forepart of the 'Olifant', 82 guns, with the striped flag of Vice-Admiral Isaac Sweers at the fore. In the distance is the rear-admiral of the third squadron, J. de Haen, in the 'Hollandia', 86 guns, with a striped flag and pendant at the mizzen. The next ship to the right is the 'Woerden' with the arms of Woerden on the tafferel, consisting of a gold shield and a chequered bend between diamonds. In fact this ship was not at the battle. On the 'Woerden's' port beam is the 'Komeeetster', the ship to which Tromp shifted his flag when the 'Gouden Leeuw' became unmanageable. Showing above the smoke beyond the 'Woerden' is de Ruyter's flag and pendant at the main of the 'Zeven Provincien'.
Willem van de Velde, the Younger