The Dutch flagship Eendracht at the Battle of Lowestoft, 3rd June 1665

England and the Netherlands found themselves at war on three occasions within twenty years in the mid-seventeenth century and despite a variety of political causes, the underlying rationale for this essentially continuous conflict was trade. The first outbreak of hostilities lasted from 1652 to 1654 and although the Dutch suffered several heavy defeats, they conceded so little by the Treaty of Westminster that further fighting became inevitable. The second Anglo-Dutch War began early in 1665 and both battle fleets were ready for sea by the spring. The Dutch were commanded by Jacob van Wassenaur, flying his flag in the 76-gun Eendracht, and the starting point of the War was the capture of a valuable Baltic convoy of English merchantmen on 20th May. Smarting from this loss, the English, under James, Duke of York, the King's brother, put to sea immediately and the two enormous fleets met off Lowestoft on 3rd June after two days of manoeuvering. The wind was variable and the battle soon became a general melee; Eendracht attached York's flagship, the Royal Charles, in a duel of great ferocity and was on the verge of forcing her surrender when a chance hit in the Dutchman's powder magazine caused her to blow up after a massive explosion. Subsequently sinking with the loss of of over 400 men and practically no survivors, the Dutch fleet immediately lost heart and began to retreat giving the Duke of York a decisive victory.

This picture is closely related to a similar picture of this action by Minderhout, which is in the collection of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

Christie's are most grateful to Frank Cockett for his help in attributing this lot.