The Action of 18 February 1639 off Dunkirk

Only little is known about Jacob Feytsz de Vries. He is documented as a painter of seascapes in the 1664 inventory of the Amsterdam art dealer Cornelis Doek. The present painting depicts the naval battle, fought off the coast of Dunkirk during the Eighty Years' War, in which the Dutch Admiral Maarten Tromp enjoyed a daring tactical victory over the Spanish fleet, led by Admiral Miguel de Horna.