This painting shows the naval battle near the Downs in 1639. Pictured in the foreground on the left is the Santa Teresa, the flagship of the Spanish fleet. The large galleon was rammed by the ship of the Dutch captain Musch and set on fire by the latter as well as by a second ship on the other side. Not only historical knowledge about the naval battle in the Downs helps to identify this scenario: The silhouette of Dover Castle in the background on the right also gives a clue to the subject and location. The painting comes from a painter in the circle of Cornelis van de Velde (1674–1714). Cornelis is a member of the famous Van de Velde family of painters who came to be known in the 17th century as painters of naval battles. The picture, however, was not painted until the latter part of the 17th or the early 18th century, that is, at least half a century after the battle in question in the English Channel. This might explain why some details do not quite correspond to the actual events of October 1639.