The Battle of the Glorious First of June, 1794; the 'Queen Charlotte' and 'Queen' after the battle RMG PU8703

The Battle of the Glorious First of June, 1794; the 'Queen Charlotte' and 'Queen' after the battle
One of the most striking of Pocock's eyewitness studies of the aftermath of the Battle of 1 June 1794, conveying the vast space over which sea actions occurred, the wide scattering of ships as they progressed, the difficulties of regrouping afterwards and refitting shattered rigging, even in relatively calm conditions. Inscriptions by the artist identify Howe's flagship 'Queen Charlotte' centre left, without topmasts, and the 'Queen' with only her foremast intact, centre right. The totally dismasted ship on the left may be the 'Defence' in tow to the frigate ahead of her: if so this drawing was possibly done just after PAD8701. Pocock appears to have been present at the Battle of the 1 June 1794 on board the 'Pegasus' (Captain Barlow), one of the frigates in Howe's fleet, which served to repeat his signals during the battle from an observing position to windward. In this he was following the precedent of van de Velde the Elder some 140 years earlier. It is the first instance that we know of a professional artist accompanying a fleet with the intention of documenting a battle since van de Velde the Elder. He subsequently made paintings of the battle, based on the sketches he took on-the-spot, which he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1796 and 1797. One of these, showing the duel between 'Brunswick' and 'Vengeur', is in the Museum's collection (BHC0471). Exhibited: NMM Pocock exhib. (1975) no 75.

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