One of many drawings recording Charles II’s visit to the newly rebuilt ‘Tiger’ at Woolwich, (17-27 August 1681) before she sailed under Lord Charles Berkeley for the Mediterranean. After dining on board he went on to Sheerness and Chatham in the yachts, returning up the Thames the following day.

This drawing shows a near view of the ‘Tiger’ from slightly abaft the starboard beam, rowing with seven sweeps out forward, fore course and topsail clewed up, other sails furled and a flag at the mizzen. A barge is alongside, the colour of its gunwale being noted as ‘blau’ (blue), and another is under her stern. There are two men-of-war and a yacht in the background. The tops of the staffs at the fore and main are not shown but there appear to be streamers flying from them. As Berkeley was only a captain in 1681 the flag at the mizzen may be that of a visiting flag-officer (rear-admiral), since other drawings show the King only flew the royal standard.

The drawing bears the original inscription ‘No 11’ and is probably, though not certainly, the first (PAH3921) which survives in a series of over eighty of this event. Others in the NMM are PAH1870, PAH1871, PAH1872, PAF6616, PAH1873, PAF6615 and PAH3922, bearing original nos. 19, 36, 44, 45, 60 and 66. Others which Robinson records are, in original numerical order, nos. 67–75, 77, 79–80, 82, 84–86 and two unnumbered: of these nos. 67–73 are in the Boymans Museum, Rotterdam, and the remainder in the Rijksmusum, Amsterdam.