The Battle of Dunkirk  1659

In 1639 Maerten Harpertsz Tromp prevented the Spanish fleet from leaving the harbour at Dunkirk with a blockade of twelve ships. Van de Velde has depicted most of the Dutch vessels with their prows pointing [br]towards the enemy armada. With a remarkable eye for detail, he rendered in pen the ships’ counters or transoms – the stern carvings from which the individual vesse...