Battle of Gibraltar, 1607

A print representing three major Dutch naval victories with portraits of Dutch admirals Jacob van Heemskerk (13 March 1567-25 April 1607) with a view of the Battle of Gibraltar, 25 April 1607; Pieter Pietersz. Heijn (25 November 1577-18 June 1629), with a view of his taking the Spanish Silver Fleet in 1628; and Maarten van Tromp with the Battle of Dunkirk, 1639, in the background. Eighty Years War (Dutch War of Independence (1568-1648).

See the notes to RCIN 721130.a for the Battle of Gibraltar.

Pieter Pietersz. Hein whose portrait is top right, was a seaman who was held captive by the Spanish between 1603 and 1607. He joined the Dutch East India Company in 1607, becoming Vice-Admiral of that company in 1623. In 1628 he captured part of a Spanish treasure fleet carrying silver in Matanzas Bay off the north Cuban coast and the ensuing prize funded the Dutch army for eight months. In 1629, Hein was made ‘Admiral of Holland’ but shortly afterwards he was killed in the Battle of the Downs, fought against Dunkirk privateers who were operating on behalf of Spain.

The main portrait is of Admiral Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp (23 April 1598-10 August 1653). Tromp had fought with Heijn in the Battle of the Downs. He was appointed Lieutenant-Admiral under the Stadtholder, Prince Frederick Henry of Orange. His great victory was the Battle of the Downs, shown in the background of this print, which was fought on 21 October 1639, when he defeated a large Spanish fleet off the coast of Kent.

This is the second state of the print and is distinguished from the first by the direction in which Tromp’s head is facing. Here, it faces slightly to the left while in the first state it faces to the right. According to Muller (FMH 1598) and Hollstein (202-I) the main portrait is not of Tromp but of Hein but there is no doubt that this is a misidentification; this conclusion is also asserted in the catalogue entry for the first state of the print which is in the Rijksmuseum (RP-P-OB-47.494). 

The key to the letters and numbers on the print is lacking. These were printed in letterpress, together with a letterpress title, which appear to have been printed on the same sheet, below the view and portraits. It is illustrated in Hollstein (202-II, p.107). The letterpress title to this second state of the print reads: ZEE-TRIOMPH VANDEN MANHAFTEN E. ADMIRAEL MARTEN HARPERSEN TROMP MITSGADERS DEN SLAGH TER ZEE TVSSCHEN HEM EN DE DVYNKERCKERS, Anno 1639.

A full length representation of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp, beneath the arms of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, borne aloft in the sea on a shell chariot pulled by two horses with, to the left, a partly clad maiden carrying a flag with the Orange-Nassau arms; to the right, another female figure carrying the Dutch flag; to the left, a Triton dips the vanquished Spanish flag into sea; to the right, another Triton holds a shield with crossed anchors, with a view of the Battle of Dunkirk, 18 February 1639, in the background; top left, an oval head and shoulders portrait.