The battle on the Slaak between the Dutch and Spanish fleets during the night of 12-13 September 1631

The handling emphasizes dynamic nocturnal illumination, with flickering light and dark contrasts to render the chaotic encounter of fleets on the Slaak.

The work is an oil painting on canvas executed by Simon de Vlieger in 1633.

The handling emphasizes dynamic nocturnal illumination, with flickering light and dark contrasts to render the chaotic encounter of fleets on the Slaak. Thin, fluid paint is used to describe the restless sea and the masts and rigging of the ships, while thicker impasto accents the flashes of gunfire and reflections on the water. The composition constructs a panoramic battle scene across the canvas, arranging vessels in overlapping diagonals to convey spatial recession and the confusion of night combat.

No specific condition notes are provided in the sources.

Painted in 1633 by Simon de Vlieger, the work depicts the nocturnal naval engagement of 12–13 September 1631 off the Slaak. It is first recorded in the collection of the Rijksmuseum (National Art Gallery of the Netherlands), Amsterdam, where it remains housed today. No commissioning patron or preparatory material has been identified in surviving records, and the painting’s early provenance prior to its entry into the museum is undocumented.

The painting depicting the Battle on the Slaak is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, also known as the National Art Gallery of the Netherlands. Created by Simon de Vlieger in 1633, the work is an oil on canvas marine scene measuring 104 cm in height and 179 cm in width. The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor do they document any exhibition history or past loan records for this specific artwork.