One of a series of drawings of French ships made probably while they were in the Thames in June-July 1673 to refit following the two battles of Schooneveld. It probably shows the 68-76 gun two-decker ‘Superbe’, which was built in 1671 as the ‘Vermandois’, was renamed the same year, and was broken up in 1687. A third deck was added in 1673. The detailed treatment of the stern shows, on the tafferel, a crowned shield bearing three fleurs-de-lys among arms and trophies. Below this are five windows, and below these in turn eight more windows. On the rail above are tritons supporting a coat-of-arms.

The drawing is an offset, which has been well worked up, the whole drawing having been rubbed on the back. In turn the depiction of the stern has been separately offset, with slight alterations, from another drawing of the same ship, PAH9358, which is inscribed ‘schout bij nacht’ within a rear-admiral’s cornette. Since this drawing is also rubbed on the back, it is probable that at least one other drawing of this ship was made.