The Van de Velde drawing of the Battle of Livorno

Teemu Koivmaki has the Van de Velde drawing of the Battle of Livorno, from March 1653, on the front page of his Sailing Warship website. The battle was a great Dutch victory, and the result caused the English to withdraw from the Mediterranean Sea for the rest of the First Anglo-Dutch War. In the center, the Maan (40 guns) is clearly identifiable, firing at the English hired ship Sampson. The hired ship Witte Oliphant is clearly visible towards the left. The Maagd van Enkhuizen (34 guns) is firing at the Levant Merchant, between the Witte Oliphant and the Sampson. To the right of the Maan, we can see the Vereenigde Provincien (or Zeven Provincien) firing a broadside at the Bonaventure, which exploded. The English fireship Charity can be seen sinking. The Dutch ship Zon (40 guns) is between the Vereenigde Provincien and the Charity. Sources:

1. Michael S. Robinson, Van de Velde Paintings, Vol.I, 1990