The Battle of the Texel (Kijkduin), 11[OS]/21 August 1673; first part

Mounted graphite and wash drawing entitled 'The Battle of The Texel 1673. First part. The Dutch running down to engage the Combined Anglo-French Fleet'. One of a set of seven.

One of a series of seven drawings of the battle, all with high horizons, acquired from the Vattier Kraane Collection in 1932 and which are possibly preliminary drawings for more finished drawings made as designs for tapestries such as those depicting the battle of Solebay at Hampton Court. Van de Velde has written over many of his annotations in graphite with brown ink. There are further inscriptions in brown ink in Dutch in the hand of neither van de Velde.

Van de Velde was not present at this battle as it seems that after the first battle of Schoonevelde in May of the same year the van de Veldes were not permitted to venture out in their ketch because of concerns about their safety, and for this reason van de Velde has not included himself in any of the drawings. It is probable that information was supplied to van de Velde by Captain Killigrew who was present in the 'Bonaventure'. Seven coloured drawings by Captain Thomas Phillips (NMM Dartmouth Collection) correspond in time with van de Velde's drawings, but the ships are shown in different positions (in 1677 Phillips unsuccessfully applied for a pension similar to the van de Veldes for 'drawing and designing battles at sea' for tapestry making.
Willem van de Velde, the Elder

Original size: 356 mm x 1155 mm