# The Explosion of Gunboat nr 2, under Command of Jan van Speyk, off Antwerp, 5 February 1831

- By: Martinus Schouman (Dordrecht, 1770–1848)
- Date: 1832
- Medium: panel, oil paint (paint)
- Classification: painting
- Dimensions: depth 6 cm
- Credit line: On loan from the City of Amsterdam (A. van der Hoop Bequest)
- Museum: [Rijksmuseum](https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/object/SK-C-226--77e487537c047b353d9fe012e653a6a2)
- Rights: [Public Domain Mark](http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/web/eda612f2322b729461de6d8c2a0e96c2.jpg
- Who can see it: Adult profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

The explosion of Dutch Gunboat No. 2 under command of Jan van Speyk on the Scheldt at Antwerp, 5 February 1831, by M. Schouman, 1832. To avoid falling in Belgian hands Van Speyk blew up his own ship. In Holland this created a sensation. There was a massive demand for pictures. Many different artists portrayed the event. Rather than show the dramatic moment when Van Speyk set the powder alight, Schouman portrayed the fatal result.