Willem van de Velde the Elder

Jiles Boon, Rotterdam (L.3355);
H.R. Bijl, The Hague,
his sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 17 November 1993, lot 1
 

At the time of the 1993 sale, the late Michael Robinson kindly informed us that he believed this drawing may represent the Dutch fleet before the battle of Solebay, on 28 May/7 June 1672, which was the opening battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War.  The ship to the left is probably the Zeven Provincien of Admiral de Ruyter, signalling for a council of war.  The distinctive elephant watermark is the same as in other studies by van de Velde of circa 1672.