The explosion of the Spanish flagship during the Battle of Gibraltar, 25 April 1607

The explosion of the Spanish flagship during the Battle of Gibraltar, 25 April 1607

Dutch Revolt

A painting depicting the Battle of Gibraltar, in which a Dutch fleet surprised and destroyed much of the Spanish fleet. This painting conveys a sense of what naval warfare was like in the period, with ships maneuvering around one another to fire volleys of cannons before engaging one another so crews could engage in hand-to-hand combat. Part of the reason for this hand-to-hand combat was so that a ship could be captured rather than destroyed (a nice way for the victor to add to the size of their fleet).

Cornelis Claesz van Wieringen

Wikimedia Commons

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1607

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public domain

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1,600 × 1,145, (1.12 MB)

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image

Dutch02

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oil on canvas

53.9 × 73.6 in