British men-of-war of the late seventeenth century are shown at sea. Three ships are clearly visible, although the key provided on the left-hand side indicates four. It is probably surviving a part of a much larger picture. Research indicates that according to the number of guns, the ship in the foreground is probably the 'Fairfax' with the 'Elizabeth' close by. This is not consistent with Sailmaker's key, and so the circumstances of the painting remain a mystery. Sailmaker was born in Scheveningen in 1633, and emigrated to England when young. He was an early marine painter working in England prior to 1710, although he had not benefited from the typical marine artist's apprenticeship. He was, however, among the artistic followers of the van de Velde who left Holland for England in 1672, and established a flourishing school of marine painting in London.