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.