The Cannon Shot, Willem van de Velde (II), c. 1680
oil on canvas, h 78.5cm × w 67cm More details
A Dutch warship in a calm, with its sails loosed, fires a cannon shot. Two sloops float to either side of the man-of-war, and another Dutch ship with lowered sails can be seen in the distance. The tranquillity of this scene contrasts starkly with The Gust (adjacent), in which a storm-battered English warship drifts rudderless on the high waves.
