De tocht van de Engelse koning Karel II over de Thames naar Sheerness en Chatham op 27 Augustus 1681 Possibly 1681 - 1688

Willem van de Velde the Elder captured King Charles II's voyage in this drawing. The central visual motif is the array of ships, symbols of power and exploration, cutting through the water. Consider how these ships relate to the 'ship of state' metaphor, where the vessel represents governance and national direction. The billowing sails, here rendered with careful detail, can be compared to Fortuna’s billowing cloak, a symbol from antiquity that embodies the capricious nature of fate and the uncontrollable forces at play in human affairs. We see here the same psychological tension as in ancient depictions of Fortuna: the balance between assertive action, represented by the ships charting their course, and the unpredictable elements. Note the smoke emanating from the vessels, which evokes a sense of conflict. This reflects a collective anxiety, a subconscious awareness of the precariousness of power and the potential for turmoil even in moments of apparent triumph. The echoes of such imagery reverberate through time, reminding us of the enduring human struggle to navigate the seas of existence.