This is thought to be an eighteenth-century copy of this Dutch seventeenth-century flag officer. He is shown in three-quarter length, facing right, in armour with his left hand resting on his hip. In his right hand he holds either a telescope or a commander's baton. He wears his sword to his left, and to the right a medallion. His plumed helmet has been placed behind him. To the right, beyond the swags of material, is a seascape with ships, denoting the sitter's naval history. He was given command of the fleet following the St James's Day Fight in 1666. In 1667, under de Ruyter, van Ghent commanded the attack on the Medway, briefly capturing Sheerness. At the first fleet action of the Third Dutch War, at Solebay on 28th May 1672, he was killed while in command of the Dutch rear squadron.