Artwork
Battle of Medway
Battle of Medway is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Willem Schellinks. It dates from 1668 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures the chaos of the battle, illustrating the Dutch fleet's assault on English warships anchored in the River Medway.
Willem Schellinks's 1668 oil painting depicts the Raid on the Medway, a significant naval engagement during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. As a work classified within the genre of marine art and history painting, the canvas focuses on the dramatic events of the military conflict rather than abstract allegory. The composition captures the chaos of the battle, illustrating the Dutch fleet's assault on English warships anchored in the River Medway.
This visual record serves to document the historical reality of the raid, emphasizing the scale of the naval confrontation and the specific actions taken by the combatants.
History & Provenance
The painting Battle of Medway was created in 1668 by the Dutch artist Willem Schellinks. Executed in oil on canvas, the work depicts the Raid on the Medway, a significant naval engagement. The piece measures 153 cm in height and 209 cm in width.
Today, the artwork is held within the collections of major Dutch institutions, specifically the Rijksmuseum and Het Scheepvaartmuseum, where it is displayed as an example of marine art.
The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, with the Het Scheepvaartmuseum listed as an additional associated collection. It is displayed in hall 2.15 of the institution. The work is catalogued as an oil on canvas measuring 153 cm in height by 209 cm in width. No accession number or detailed exhibition history is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Willem Schellinks painted Battle of Medway in 1668, rendering the 1667 English raid on the Dutch shipyard at the River Medway as a large‑scale history work. Executed in oil on canvas, the piece belongs to the Dutch Golden Age and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s permanent collection.
Technique & Style
Schellinks employs vigorous brushwork to convey the turbulence of sea and sky. Thick, impasto strokes render the churning waves and dense plumes of smoke, while a storm‑laden sky is broken by shafts of light that heighten the scene’s dramatic tension.
Context
The painting reflects the broader geopolitical conflict of the Second Anglo‑Dutch War, when English forces launched a surprise attack on the Medway shipyards, capturing and destroying several Dutch vessels. Schellinks’ depiction aligns with contemporary Dutch efforts to record and process the national trauma of the defeat.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Willem Schellinks (1623–1678) was a Dutch painter, draughtsman and etcher of landscapes and marine scenes and also a poet.
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