The Battle of Livorno (Leghorn)

Unknown artist

In 1653 the English ship the Samson went up in flames off the coast of Italy after an encounter with Cornelis Tromp’s warship the Halve Maan. Van de Velde represented both vessels at the centre of this pen painting. Tromp commissioned the picture to honour and glorify himself. The work is still in its original frame with the Tromp family coat of arms.