This painting has the received description of showing the 'Queen Charlotte' at a formal fleet review in 1790, just before the French Revolutionary Wars. In this interpretation, the ships ride at anchor in Spithead, opposite Portsmouth, the most important naval base in the country, thereby demonstrating England's naval power at the time.

To left of centre, the dominant ship is Admiral Lord Howe's flagship, 'Queen Charlotte', a new 104-gun first-rate. Her figurehead is clearly shown, and she fires a salute in honour of the Admiral who is being rowed over in his barge in the foreground. 'Queen Charlotte' also flies a Union flag at the main, since Lord Howe, as Admiral of the Red was Admiral of the Fleet (i.e the Commander-in-Chief). To left and right, other ships are portrayed anchored as far as the horizon, indicating the strength and power of the Navy.

While the general point about demonstrating naval might is true, the occasion does not have the look of a formal 'naval review'. The ships are not anchored in organised lines as usually the case on such occasions: there is no indication of royal attendance and - as far as obvious report goes - there was no formal naval review that year, when the main operational fleet assembly in the summer was under Lord Howe at Torbay prior to sailing into the western approaches of the Channel in the transient crisis known as the Spanish Armament. What Anderson may therefore be showing is the 'Queen Charlotte' and other ships from the Channel Fleet at Portsmouth in the period before they sailed for Torbay. 'Queen Charlotte' was also Howe's flagship at the Battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794.

The Scottish born painter, originally a shipwright, was heavily influenced by 17th-century Dutch marine artists. He is best known for his works in this style, although he also produced larger history paintings. Two other, and even more impressive, versions of the present picture have been recorded, with differences in the background shipping. One, initialled and dated 1791, was with Richard Green, London, in 1974: the other, also with Richard Green in 2000, was signed and dated 1790 and also recorded as the one which Anderson showed as his last exhibit (no.381) at the Royal Academy in 1834, having first shown work there in 1787. There is no record or appearance of the present canvas being signed or dated. It was acquired in 1947 as by Nicholas Pocock and later reattributed to Anderson, though whether before 1974 on style grounds or when the second version appeared is not now clear.