Breaking the Chain across the Medway, 22 June 1667: Episode from the Raid on Chatham (1670)

About this work

The artist used dramatic lighting to show the tension, dark clouds and bright flashes from the guns.

This painting shows a chaotic battle at sea. Three ships are firing cannons, with thick black smoke filling the air. On the left, a dark fort or dock is under attack. Smaller boats with people rowing are scattered around, and the waves look rough.

The artist used dramatic lighting to show the tension, dark clouds and bright flashes from the guns. This scene is from a real attack on a British naval base in 1667.

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Subject & Meaning

The painting portrays the episode of the Dutch breaking the defensive chain across the River Medway during the Raid on Chatham on 22 June 1667, a pivotal action of the Second Anglo‑Dutch War. As a marine work, it shows boats engaged in the act of severing the chain, emphasizing the daring naval maneuver. The scene symbolizes Dutch naval superiority and the temporary collapse of English river defenses, commemorating a shock‑to‑the‑enemy raid that highlighted the vulnerability of England’s southern approaches.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in oil paint on panel, a support characteristic of seventeenth-century Northern Netherlandish marine painting. It is classified as a painting within the marine genre and measures 56 by 80 centimetres. The medium and small-scale panel format are consistent with the production of anonymous cabinet pictures produced in the Northern Low Countries around 1670.

No information regarding the handling, brushwork, condition, or specific stylistic qualities of the work is provided in the available sources.

History & Provenance

The work was created in 1670 as an oil painting on panel, depicting a marine scene of the Raid on Chatham. It was produced in the Northern Low Countries and is classified as a marine painting. The artwork is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection, reflecting its provenance through the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection.

The piece was commissioned as an anonymous work and has remained in the Rijksmuseum's holdings since its inception, maintaining its status as a significant example of 17th-century marine art.

The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it forms part of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection. Its medium is oil paint on panel, measuring 56 by 80 centimetres. No accession number, acquisition date, or exhibition history is documented in the available sources.

Legacy

The painting's legacy lies in its representation of a pivotal naval episode, influencing subsequent depictions of maritime conflict and securing its place within the marine art genre. Its presence at the Rijksmuseum has contributed to ongoing scholarly discussions of 17th-century naval history and artistic technique, particularly regarding the use of oil paint on panel. The work's attribution to the anonymous painter and its provenance from the Northern Low Countries have informed studies on artistic authorship in the period.

Overview

The oil painting titled Breaking the Chain across the Medway, 22 June 1667: Episode from the Raid on Chatham depicts a turbulent naval engagement. Three warships unleash cannon fire amid thick black smoke, while a darkened fort or dock on the left is under assault. Small rowing boats populate the churning sea, and the sky is filled with stormy clouds illuminated by sudden flashes of gunfire.