Upon the Restoration in 1660 Charles II appointed his brother, James (Duke of York and later James II), to the position of Lord High Admiral, in which capacity he commanded the Royal Navy during the Second (1665-7) and Third (1672-4) Anglo-Dutch Wars (the First (1652-4) took place in Cromwell’s time). In 1675 he commissioned from the recently-arrived Dutch artists (Van de Veldes, father and son) a set of large canvases depicting episodes in these two conflicts and the ongoing struggle against piracy.

The ‘Kingfisher’ was decoy ship, a man of war adapted to be able to resemble a merchantman. Sailing from Naples under the command of Captain Morgan Kempthorne she was attacked by seven Algerine ships flying under a succession of false colours (French, Dutch and English). After a fierce engagement during which the ship was twice set alight and Kempthorne killed, the Kingfisher fought off the enemy.

This painting shows the moment when the Algerine ship, the ‘Golden Rose’, was brought into the attack and was captured by the English. In the foreground, a starboard-broadside view of the Golden Rose engaged with the Kingfisher on her port bow; on the Kingfisher's bow are two more Algerine ships, one of which is the White Horse; on the left are four other Algerine ships.

Inscribed lower right: 'W. v. Velde' and on the reverse of the relined canvas (presumably copied from the original canvas reverse): 'W. V. Velde, de.oude / f 1683.'