The Burning of the 'Andrew' at the Battle of Scheveningen, by Willem van de Velde the younger WLC P77-001

The Burning of the Andrew at the Battle of Scheveningen, by Willem van de Velde the younger WLC P77
The picture illustrates an incident from the Battle of Scheveningen (or Ter Heide) which took place between 31 July and 10 August 1653 and formed the last engagement of the first Anglo-Dutch War (1652–1654). In the foreground, the Dutch fireship, the 'Fortuin' ('Fortune'), is about to ram the Andrew, commanded by the English Rear-Admiral of the white squadron, Thomas Graves. Fireships operated like floating bombs.They were crammed with combustible material and carried cannon rigged to explode simultaneously. The fireship would set course to intercept an enemy ship, the crew igniting the charges and abandoning ship at the last moment. Here the English crew escapes the impending danger in a rowboat on the left, while the crew of the 'Fortuin' escapes on the right.
van de Velde II, Willem; The Burning of the 'Andrew' at the Battle of Scheveningen; The Wallace Collection; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/the-burning-of-the-andrew-at-the-battle-of-scheveningen-209712
Mediumː oil on canvas
Measurementsː H 84.6 x W 108.1 cm
Accession numberː P77
Acquisition methodː acquired by Richard Seymour-Conway, 4th Marquess of Hertford, 1865; bequeathed to the nation by Lady Wallace, 1897

Painting