The battle is viewed from a point north-east of Kronborg looking towards the castle, with the wind blowing from the North-West. The state of the battle at about midday is shown on the right of the drawing, but it is later on the left. The shadows on the ships give no indication of time.

When viewed from right to left in the first quarter foreground we can see a bow view of a Dutch ship of the rear; quadroon firing into a completely dismasted Swedish ship, which has sunk to her upper deck. In the background is the church at Elsinore, and farther in the distance, the castle at Kronborg. Wrangel in the ‘Viktoria’ (pendant above the flag) is shown, with topsails to the mast, making off for the protection of the castle. The vice-admiral of his squadron (Strussflycht in the ‘Kronan’) is under his stern, engaged with Banckert in the ‘Zeeridder’.

In the second quarter of the picture is a port bow view of van de Velde’s galjoot, close under the bow of a dismasted ship enveloped in smoke. In the background is a stern view of the ‘Brederode’, de With, engaged with a Swedish admiral (pendant under the flag); men are jumping into boats from the stern of the ‘Brederode’. A large Dutch ship of the van (? de pl van wapen) has put before the wind. A stern view of the ‘Eendracht’, Van Wassenaer, is alse depicted with the Swedish ship ‘Merkurius’ close to port, a Swedish vice-admiral on the ‘Eendract’s starboard quarter and a Swedish ship sinking under her stern (probably intended for the ‘Pelikan’). Aert van Nes in the ‘Wapen van Rotterdam’ is on the port beam of the ‘Merurius’.

In the third quarter is a ship burning to the water’s edge with a starboard quarter view of the captured Swedish ship ‘Morgenstjernan’, in the foreground, sunk to her upper deck close under the bow of a Dutch ship. Another Swedish ship is also depicted sinking. In the background is a stern view of the Dutch ship ‘Halve Maan’ and a Swedish admiral (flag only at the main) before the wind. Bruynsvelt in the ‘Breda’ is shown with a large Swedish ship close on her starboard beam and another Swedish ship to port with the inscription ‘dese is gesch…’ In the distance to the right, the flag of the Dutch vice-admiral of the van, Marre in the ‘Landman’, can be seen above the smoke.

In the final quarter is a port quarter view of van de Velde’s galjoot, with the artist seated amidships, pencil in hand pointing to ships on his starboard beam. In the background is a starboard bow view of a Swedish vice-admiral and the Dutch vice-admiral of the rear, Femmeszoon in the small ‘Eendracht’ before the wind. There is also a stern view of a Swedish flute. A stern view of a Swedish ship of the rear squadron is also depicted with the flag of Pieter Floriszoon, admiral of the rear, showing beyond.

The drawing is part of a numbered series of drawings of the battle in various collections, and is inscribed upper right ‘7 vellen’ (seven sheets), and lower left ‘W … van / velden’.

Van de Velde was present at the battle in his galjoot and made this drawing on a roll of paper using graphite, which he later finished in wash. He has shown his galjoot twice, so that it may be assumed that he made the drawing as he sailed along the northern edge of the battle and that the left section would show a later stage of the battle than that shown on the right.