The vessel on the right is a 'snaauwschip' (a square-rigged two masted vessel usually employed as a despatch vessel; in English, 'a snow') flying a blue ensign with a coat of arms. In the middle distance is a man-of-war with its sails furled flying the Dutch colours. The town on the horizon seems to be Dordrecht, with the Grote Kerk on the left and, towards the right, the Groothoofdspoort.

This painting was probably painted in the mid-1660s and almost certainly before about 1692-4 when the spire of the Groothoofdspoort was replaced by a dome.