Model of a 40-gun warship

In the early 18th century the Amsterdam Admiralty hired three English shipbuilders to reorganize Dutch naval shipbuilding. Their proposals clashed with those of Dutch shipbuilders, such as Paulus van Zwijndregt. The English produced scale models to illustrate their ideas. To compete on an equal footing, Van Zwijndregt did the same. However, he had to have his model made in London.