The Trafalgar Tavern, Greenwich;
Anonymous sale (The Property of a Gentleman), London, Christie's, 18th June 1976, lot 122;
Private Collection, U.S.A.;
Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 9th December 2008, lot 11 (bt. for £58,000 by the present owner)

South Mobile, Alabama Fine Arts Museum;
Annapolis, The United States Naval Academy Museum, 22nd April - 31st May 1986;
Little Rock, The Arkansas Arts Centre, 10th October - 23rd November 1986;
Columbia, Museum of Art;
Alburquerque, Museum of Art, Loan Exhibition, March - May 1987 

M. S. Robinson, Van de Velde: A Catalogue of the Paintings of the Elder and Younger Willem van de Velde, 1990, Vol. II. p. 959, no. 454, version [3]

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition, with no apparent extant damage or loss of paint and no visible retouching. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals scattered minor retouching, particulalry in the sky on the left hand side of the picture, and retouching to an old diagonal tear in the sky to the right of the main ship, aprox. 8in. in the main section, and then tailing off for a further 5in aprox. byond in a thin scratch. There is no apparent further restoration and the picture appears to be in generally good condition. FRAME Held in a semi gilded frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@laitexier.com, or Ludo Shaw Stewart on +44 (0)207 293 5816, or at ludovic.shawstewart@laitexier.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This is a version of a painting by Willem van de Velde, dated 1688, in the Government Art Collection. It is possible that the subject of the painting relates to the invasion of William of Orange in Nove🎐mber 1688, known as The Glorious Revolution, and may depict the English fleet under the Earl of Dartmouth lying in the Gunfleet off the Naze. 

If the scene is correctly identified, then the flagship in the left background with the Union flag at the main would be H.M.S. Resolution, a 70-gun ship built in 1667.  The only problem with this identification would appear to be that the artist has shown the vessel with three decks of guns, whereas the Resolution only carried two.  This may have been a mistake originally made by Van de Velde or one of his assistants, who may have assumed that the Admiral of the Fleet would sail in a three-decker.  The other flagship in the right background might then be indentified as H.M.S. Elizabeth, with Sir John Berry's blue flag at the foreꦓ as Vice-Admiral of the fleet.

John Cleveley the Elder is known to have painted a version of this composition, and a signed and dated painting by Cleveley was recorded as in the collection of Willis, Faber and Dumas, London by Robinson (op.cit.p.961).  John Cleveley was one of the most talented van de Velde followers.  From about 1747 un✅til the mid-1750s he painted a series of launches of ships at Deptford Dockyard, and the present work is a rare and exciting example of a 🤡composition on a similar scale.