The Dutch Burning English Ships during the Dutch Raid on the Medway, 20 June 1667
1667 - 1669
Medium
oil on panel
Dimensions
4; 93; 156.5
About this artwork
height 93 cm x width 156.5 cm
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Dutch Burning English Ships the Dutch Raid on theway, 20 June 1667*, a dramatic oil-on-panel painting by Jan van Leyden created between 1667 and 1669. This large work (93 cm high by 156.5 cm wide) captures a pivotal moment in the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the Dutch fleet, led by Michiel deuyter, launched a bold surprise attack on England's poorly defended naval base at the Medway River near Chatham. On June 20, Dutch set fire to several English warships, towed away the flagship *HMS Royal Charles* as a trophy, and humiliated the Royal Navy in one of the greatest naval raids in histor...
About the Artist
Jan van Leyden · 1450–1527
A shadowy figure who may be identified with a 'Jan van Leyen' who became a master in the Antwerp guild in 1520; one of the earliest followers of Bosch, he favored small paintings of figures in strange landscapes. He was probably born in Leyden. He was apparently dead before January 1527, when it is documented that his widow remarried the landscape artist, Frans Vermeer. Comment on works: Religious