Episode from the Four Days' Naval Battle (11-14 June 1666)

attributed to Willem van de Velde (I), in or after 1666 - in or before 1672

Four Days Battle at Sea, June 1666, by Willem van de Velde I, c. 1673. The Dutch defeated the English in the Four Days Fight of 11 to 14 June 1666. This battle was a test for De Ruyter's newly equipped fleet. The Dutch ships are recognisable by the red, white and blue striped flags. Visible behind the English flagship, (centre) is the stern of the Royal Charles. This ship was captured a year later by the Dutch in the raid on Chatham.

  • Artwork typepainting
  • Object numberSK-A-1392
  • Dimensionssupport: height 151 cm x width 235 cm, depth 6 cm
  • Physical characteristicsoil on canvas

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"Council of War aboard ""The Seven Provinces"", the Flagship of Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter, 10 June 1666, preceding the Four Days' Battle: episode from the Second Anglo-Dutch War"

Willem van de Velde (I), 1666 - 1693

"Council of War aboard ""The Seven Provinces"", the Flagship of Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter, 10 June 1666, preceding the Four Days' Battle: episode from the Second Anglo-Dutch War"

The Battle of Livorno (Leghorn)

Willem van de Velde (I), c. 1659 - c. 1699

The Battle of Livorno (Leghorn)

The Battle of Dunkirk

Willem van de Velde (I), 1659

The Battle of Dunkirk

The Battle of the Downs

Willem van de Velde (I), 1659

The Battle of the Downs

Ships after the Battle

Willem van de Velde (I) (mentioned on object), 1630 - 1672

Ships after the Battle

Willem van de Velde (I) (attributed to)

Episode from the Four Days' Naval Battle (11-14 June 1666)

Amsterdam, in or after 1666 - in or before 1672

Provenance

…; Admiraliteit van de Maze (Admiralty of Rotterdam), Rotterdam1J.M. Obreen, Catalogus der verzameling modellen van het Departement van Marine, The Hague 1858, p. 172.; transferred from the Ministerie van Marine (Department of the Navy), The Hague, to the museum, 1883.

Object number: SK-A-1392

Entry

Painting representing a sea battle between the Dutch and English fleet. The Four Days’ Naval Battle was an important episode in the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-67).

The painting came from the Admiralty of Rotterdam to the Navy Model Room in The Hague.2J.M. Obreen, Catalogus der verzameling modellen van het Departement van Marine, The Hague 1858, p. 172.

Literature

J.M. Obreen, Catalogus der verzameling modellen van het Departement van Marine, The Hague 1858, p. 172; P.J.J. van Thiel et al., All the Paintings of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam: A Completely Illustrated Catalogue, coll. cat. Amsterdam 1976, p. 561; J.P. Sigmond and W.T. Kloek, Sea Battles in the Dutch Golden Age, Zwolle 2014, pp. 127-35, fig. 100

Citation

J. van der Vliet, 2016, 'attributed to Willem van de (I) Velde, Episode from the Four Days' Naval Battle (11-14 June 1666), Amsterdam, in or after 1666 - in or before 1672', in J. van der Vliet and A. Lemmers (eds.), Navy Models in the Rijksmuseum, online coll. cat. Amsterdam: https://data.rijksmuseum.nl/20027312

(accessed 7 December 2025 01:09:57).

Footnotes

  • 1J.M. Obreen, Catalogus der verzameling modellen van het Departement van Marine, The Hague 1858, p. 172.
  • 2J.M. Obreen, Catalogus der verzameling modellen van het Departement van Marine, The Hague 1858, p. 172.