On the left is a starboard-broadside view of a large two-decker lying near two mooring piles. Her fore and main courses, main staysail, fore and main topsails and spritsails are loosed for drying; a pendant at the main. Beyond are three other ships including a vice-admiral with her head broken off. In the right foreground is a barge with a canopy aft pulling towards the large two-decker. Beyond, lightly sketched, the starboard bow of a flute is shown with yards a-cockbill and astern of her a two-decker with fore course and topails loosed. Reef-points, two rows in the topsails and three in the course, have been added by a later hand to the sails of the latter ship.

This is an unsigned pencil and wash drawing by the Elder. The drawing is inscribed on the back ‘Brave amsterdamse [?geteickend] [space] gesicht van/ katteburch geteickent daer/ zijnde’ (? A fine Amsterdam sight drawn from Kattenburg). Some pencil work on the barge is also probably by a later hand.

One of four drawings (PAG6176, PAF6756, PAG6177) of ships and vessels in harbour which, by their style and the watermarks, appear to have been drawn at the time of the Dutch Northern Expedition of 1658.