The French army's defeat of the English on Île de Ré on November 8, 1627 Detail

Depicting the fight against Protestantism led by Louis XIII during the sieges on Île de Ré and La Rochelle in 1627–1628, this painting is unique in Laurent de La Hyre's body of work, as he painted history rather than contemporary events The realism of this depiction of war in the 17th century leads to reason that the painter witnessed the depicted events first-hand, on November 8, when the English were defeated by the French army, led by Cardinal Richelieu and Gaston d'Orléans.
The movement and confrontation of the cavalrymen and foot soldiers are incredibly precise, the arrangement of the various layers is from a foot soldier's perspective, enabling the viewer to follow the event from the initial clash of the armies through to the enemies' retreat. The account finishes with the silhouettes of the English ships in the distances, lit by the pink-hued glimmers of the setting sun.