As the son of a seaman and at one time a captain himself, van de Velde's detailed knowledge of ships and nautical life made him well suited for his subsequent career as a marine painter. In this drawing, he depicted the final major battle of the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652-54), which the Dutch lost along with the war itself. The famous Dutch commander Maarten Tromp was killed in action during this battle, as van de Velde noted in the inscription in the upper right. The artist executed this highly finished drawing in the studio on the basis of several quick sketches that he made as a firsthand witness to the engagement. -- Exhibition Label, from "Drawn to Greatness: Master Drawings from the Thaw Collection"