S. Victory and H. M. S. Foudroyant.

by H. M

£3,750 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

A pair of very well-preserved paintings on glass showing two flagships of Lord Nelson. HMS Foudroyant was an 80-gun third rate of the Royal Navy, one of only two British-built 80-gun ships of the period. Foudroyant served Nelson as his flagship from 6 June 1799 until the end of June 1800. HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1765. With 246 years of service as of 2024, she is the world's oldest naval vessel still in commission. Victory is best known for her role as Horatio, Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. Reverse glass painting, a technique which involved applying paint to a piece of glass and then viewing the image by turning the glass over and looking through the glass at the image, was very popular in the nineteenth century. Because of the nature of the medium, survival rates are not high and attractive examples in good condition are scarce. 2 reverse paintings on glass, 48.5 x 43 cm framed, captioned beneath image, H. M. S. Victory signed in the glass, upper right hand corner. Very good condition.

• Binding: Hardcover

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