According to M.S. Robinson (‘Van de Velde Drawings … in the National Maritime Museum’, vol. II, p. 14 and p. 80), the date of this pencil and wash drawing of the ‘Liefde’ is uncertain, but there are many similarities between the ship in this drawing and the flagship in the large painting by Van de Velde the Younger in the Wallace Collection, London (P137), which flies the flag and pendant of the commander-in-chief of the Dutch fleet, Cornelis Tromp. The drawing is inscribed ‘d Liefde 1662 Te amsterdam’ in grey ink and on the back in the same ink ‘Het schip genamt d Liefde, is gefoert by d Heer admiral Cornelis Tromp int gefaght anno 1665’ (The ship called the Liefde was commanded by Cornelis Tromp in the battle in the year 1665, i.e. the Battle of Lowestoft, June 1665). The drawing may be an offset from an unknown original.