Skip to main content

A Life on the Ocean Wave

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, around one in five families in Britain had a direct connection to seafaring. Britain’s place in the world was supported by the Royal Navy, while her merchant seamen brought luxuries from every corner of the globe and exported her products. A rich painting tradition recording the glories of the Age of Sail can currently be enjoyed online and in our 147 New Bond Street gallery.

147 New Bond Street, W1S 2TS

Robert Dodd - A squadron of the Red at Spithead, waiting for a breeze

Robert Dodd

A squadron of the Red at Spithead, waiting for a breeze

A series of European conflicts as well as an expanding empire placed the Royal Navy at the heart of national life in the eighteenth century. Dodd depicts the principal Naval anchorage at Spithead, off Portsmouth. He captures the silvery coastal light and the grace of the men-of-war. At the left a seventy-four gun, third-rate man-of-war, wearing the broad pendant of a Vice-Admiral of the Red at the fore, is saluting.
Thomas Buttersworth - The Bristol privateer, Caesar, Captain Valentine Baker, engaging a 32-gun French frigate in the Bristol Channel on 27th June 1782

Thomas Buttersworth

The Bristol privateer, Caesar, Captain Valentine Baker, engaging a 32-gun French frigate in the Bristol Channel on 27th June 1782

Buttersworth began to paint when he was still a Master-at-Arms in the Navy. He may have been present at the Battle of St Vincent in 1797, Nelson’s first major victory. Here he vividly evokes an earlier conflict, the American War of Independence. In a David and Goliath contest, the 20-gun sloop ‘Caesar’, a Bristol privateer, forced the surrender of a 32-gun French frigate that was preying on a merchant convoy.
Cookie Policy

We use cookies to remember your favourite art work, settings, personalise content, improve website performance, analyse traffic and assist with our general marketing efforts. Learn more