The Battle of Dunkirk, Willem van de Velde (I), 1659
canvas, h 123cm × w 185cm More details
In 1639 Maerten Harpertsz Tromp prevented the Spanish fleet from leaving the harbour at Dunkirk with a blockade of twelve ships. Van de Velde has depicted most of the Dutch vessels with their prows pointing towards the enemy armada. With a remarkable eye for detail, he rendered in pen the ships’ counters or transoms – the stern carvings from which the individual vessels can be identified.
