In the 17th century the sea was crucially important to all the inhabitants of the Republic of the United Provinces. The wealth of the regents was based on merchant shipping and overseas trade, and the fishing industry was vital for the feeding of the whole population. Safety at sea and protection against enemy invasion were guaranteed by the war fleet. Consequently, the navy and the admirals who commanded the fleet were at the centre of attention. After all, their success or failure determined the fate of many. If they were successful they were worshipped; if they lost they were abused by the mob. Many paintings, prints, drawings and objects in the Rijksmuseum bear witness to these men and their fortunes at sea. There are splendid images of sea battles and portraits of admirals and their ships. But what do these wonderful pictures tell us? Why were they made? What do they really show, and how did they originate?
The authors take the reader from the Battle of the Haarlemmermeer in 1573 to the last great naval encounter in the Third Anglo-Dutch War in 1673, the Battle of Kijkduin. The naval heroes Jacob van Heemskerck, Piet Hein, Maerten and Cornelis Tromp and of course Michiel de Ruyter receive attention together with many others, including the great marine painters such as Hendrick Vroom, Willem van de Velde the Elder and the Youngar and Ludolf Bakhuysen.