Battle of Medway
Willem Schellinks
c. 1668
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
h 153cm × w 209cm
Classification
painting
Museum
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
About this artwork
In June 1667 a battle fleet under the command of Michiel de Ruyter surprised the English anchored off Chatham. In the foreground Sheerness Fort can be seen going up in flames. A heavy barrier chain is strung midway across the River Medway, but in vain: columns of smoke rise from the various English ships torched by the Dutch upriver.