A three-quarter-length portrait to right in a black velvet coat with silver buttons. Over his coat he wears a wide, plain collar, a dark cloth baldric and a gold chain with a medallion of the Danish king Frederick III. He holds an ivory-topped cane in his left hand and in the right background, through an archway, is his flagship and other ships of the Dutch fleet. His arms are included in the top left corner.

De Ruyter was presented with the gold chain by Frederick III in 1659 to reward his actions conquering the island of Funen. In 1660, he was ennobled into the Danish nobility, and awarded the arms shown. These include the Danish flag, a cannon and canon balls representing the battle that he fought for Denmark and his ship. The armed knight above the crown symbolises de Ruyter's Danish nobility.

Overall, de Ruyter has been portrayed with the attributes of power and military success. It was presented to the Naval Gallery of Greenwich Hospital in 1870 by M. J. de Jonge, Baron van Ellemut (or possibly Ellemeet). It is now clear that it was originally one of a pair, the other being of the sitter's third wife Anna van Gelder (see ZBA4398), both presumably commissioned by de Ruyter. Later split, they were only reunited when the Museum acquired the other from the Netherlands in 2006.