This sheet depicts a ruin on a small island surrounded by water and the landscape beyond. The technique of ink, wash, and watercolor, somewhat resembles the draftsmanship of Flemish artists such as Lucas van Uden, Lodewijk de Vadder, and Jacques Fouquier. In subject, the present sheet is reminiscent of Jacob van Ruisdael's depiction of the Castle of Egmond. Throughout the Northern and Southern Netherlands, castles suffered in the course of the Thirty Years' War; for instance, Willem of Orange ordered the destruction of Egmond Castle in 1573 in order to prevent its capture by Spanish forces. In the seventeenth century, such ruined castle became popular sites for artists sketching out of doors. Also during this time, there was a growing appreciation of the beauty of decrepit buildings and stone ruins (see Walter S. Gibson, Pleasant Places: the Rustic Landscape from Bruegel to Ruisdael, Berkeley, 2000). However, given the high degree of finish in the drawing, it was most likely completed in the studio.