The Batlle of Livorno, 14 March 1653: episode from the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652-54)

Created in 1654 by Willem van de Velde the Elder, this ink painting on panel depicts the Battle of Leghorn, a naval engagement from the First Anglo-Dutch War. The work measures 114 cm in height and 160 cm in width. Historical records indicate that the piece was once owned by Cornelis Sebille Roos.

Today, the painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is displayed in hall 2.15 as a significant example of marine art and battle painting.

The painting is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection in Amsterdam, where it is displayed in hall 2.15. It was acquired by the museum through the bequest of Cornelis Sebille Roos.

Exhibition history includes a presentation in the museum's 1995 exhibition titled 'Dutch and Flemish Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum Collection'.

Willem van de Velde the Elder specialized in marine and battle scenes, a focus reflected in his 1654 work depicting the Battle of Leghorn. His artistic lineage was rooted in a family of painters; his son, Willem van de Velde the Younger, later collaborated with him and achieved prominence for detailed ship drawings. Contemporary assessments of the painting’s reception are limited in available scholarship, but its inclusion in the Rijksmuseum collection underscores its historical significance within Dutch Golden Age art.

The work’s genre aligns with 17th-century Dutch interests in documenting naval conflicts, placing it within broader discussions of maritime art and historiography.

Scholars have examined the painting’s composition and historical context as part of the First Anglo-Dutch War narrative, though specific critical commentary from the period is sparsely documented. It remains a key example of van de Velde’s contribution to the evolution of marine painting, influencing later artists in the genre. The attribution to van de Velde the Elder is well-established in art historical literature and supported by institutional records.

The painting’s placement in the Rijksmuseum’s collection highlights its recognized value in illustrating 17th-century Dutch naval history and artistic innovation.

Willem van de Velde the Elder produced this ink drawing in 1654, depicting a naval clash that occurred on 14 March 1653 off the coast of Livorno. The work records a specific episode of the First Anglo‑Dutch War (1652–54), focusing on the violent encounter known as the Battle of Leghorn.