original art: drawing
Despite being faintly inscribed ‘Forgery’ (due possibly to some curious features in rig), Robinson sees no need to doubt the authenticity of this drawing, though he notes certain similarities in the lightness of pencil and wash to parts of a large drawing by the 18th-century collector and amateur artist Charles Gore, which is known to be a copy of a drawing by Van de Velde the Elder (PAJ2585 and PAJ2586).

It probably belongs to the series of drawings made of the Dutch fleet during the northern expedition against Sweden in October 1658, that culminated in the battle of the Sound. In the foreground is a galjoot in port lee broadside view, with astern of her a boeier under full sail. Close on the boeier’s weather quarter is a ship wearing a flag at the mizzen and pendant at the main. There are several other ships in the background.