The English were under the joint command of the Generals at Sea, George Monck and Richard Deane, joined on the second day by Admiral Robert Blake, while Lieutenant-Admiral Maarten Tromp commanded the Dutch. During the first day, Tromp boarded Admiral William Penn's flagship the 'James' but was beaten back. Boarded in turn by Penn, Tromp only managed to dislodge him by blowing up the decks of the 'Brederode'. On the second day the Dutch broke in confusion after Blake joined the fray, and were forced to accept that the English were masters of the sea. Deane was killed by the first salvo at the Gabbard and Blake became seriously ill so it was left to Monk to command alone at the last action of the war, the Battle of Scheveningen on 31 July. The profusion of masts and flags demonstrates the number of ships involved in the action.

The technique of grisaille involved drawing with pen and ink on prepared gesso panels or canvas and is more accurately described as pen-painting (penschilderij). It enabled the drawing to be highly detailed and demonstrate the artist's ability and knowledge of shipping and was pioneered by Witmont and his friend Willem van de Velde the Elder, who were its two finest practitioners.