This is a ship portrait viewed from the port bow. The ship’s fore and main lowermasts are visible and the courses are held down (or clewed). There are a number of men aboard the vessel, pictured on the far left furling the main square-rigged sail or sails immediately above the topsail (known as the topgallant).

The work is rubbed on the back and may possibly be an offset which has been completely worked up with pencil and which might be by Willem van de Velde the Younger, but with a slightly clumsy wash applied to the side of the ship by van de Velde the Elder.