Items Similar to Thomas Luny, Hms Bellerophon Leaving Torbay with the Defeated Emperor Napoleon
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 13
Thomas Luny, Hms Bellerophon Leaving Torbay with the Defeated Emperor Napoleon
$47,234.53
£33,750
€40,300.50
CA$64,760.91
A$72,312.53
CHF 37,720.18
MX$889,190.08
NOK 476,075.68
SEK 448,208.48
DKK 300,641.90
Shipping
Retrieving quote...The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation
About the Item
Thomas Luny (British, 1759-1837) HMS Bellerophon leaving Torbay with the defeated Emperor Napoleon aboard, 26th July 1815, this oil on panel shows the crew manning the yards to bring in the sails, having just dropped anchor in Torbay, with another battleship anchored astern and a further ship under sail in the distance, the foreground with working boats approaching, signed and dated ‘Luny 1827’(lower left). In the original gilt-wood frame.
Provenance: Private collection, UK.
Footnote: Despite a service career as illustrious as any fighting ship in the Royal Navy, Bellerophon is principally remembered as the vessel to whose captain Emperor Napoleon surrendered after Waterloo and which then conveyed him to Plymouth, via Torbay, on the first stage of his long journey into exile.
One of the fourteen ‘Arrogant’ class 74-gun Third Rates designed by Surveyor Slade in 1758, Bellerophon was built in Edward Greaves’ yard on the Medway at Frindsbury, near Rochester, where her keel was laid in May 1782. Launched on 17th October 1786, she was measured by her builder at 1,613 tons and was 168 feet in length with a 47 foot beam. Completed at Chatham in March 1787 at a total cost of £38,608, she was laid up for three years until fitted for sea in August 1790 and commissioned under Captain Thomas Pasley. By 1794 Pasley had been promoted to Rear-Admiral and Bellerophon acted as his flagship at the battle of the ‘Glorious First of June’ where she engaged the huge 110-gun Révolutionnaire alone for an hour-and-a-half before the Russell and the Marlborough came to her assistance. Because of the damage she had sustained aloft, Bellerophon had then to withdraw from the scene but her conduct at this opening fleet action of the War laid the foundations for what was to follow.
By the time Nelson located the French fleet anchored in Aboukir Bay on 1st August 1798, Bellerophon was commanded by Captain Henry Derby and when he took his ship in to engage the enemy she found herself pitted against Admiral Bruey’s 120-gun flagship L’Orient. In a fierce action exactly reminiscent of what had happened at the ‘Glorious First of June’, Bellerophon pounded her greatly superior adversary but was completely dismasted in so doing. Despite heavy casualties, including Captain Derby, she remained at her station and was the nearest vessel to L’Orient when the latter finally blew up during the night. Repaired and refitted, she was continually in action until Trafalgar where, under Captain John Cooke, she fought nobly, first against the combined fire of four enemy vessels, then in a spectacular duel with L’Aigle and, finally, with the Spanish Monarca which surrendered to her. Her gallant fight cost her the second highest casualty list at the battle and amongst the dead was Captain Cooke himself.
After extensive repairs at Plymouth, she returned to sea and, by the War end, it was said that “during the period 1793-1815, she saw more action than any other ship.” Her enduring claim to fame however came when, after fleeing the field at Waterloo, the defeated Emperor Napoleon made his way to Rochefort where, on 15th July [1815], he surrendered to Captain Maitland of the Bellerophon. Maitland had been sent to Rochefort when intelligence reached the Admiralty that Napoleon was planning to embark there for America; in the event, the Emperor chose to place himself under the protection of British law, whereupon Maitland sailed for England, Napoleon catching his final glimpse of the French coast (off Ushant) on 23rd July. The English coast was sighted the same evening and, early the next morning, Bellerophon anchored in Torbay where Maitland awaited his orders. As soon as news of the former Emperor’s arrival became known, presumably by means of a careless word ashore from one of the ship’s officers, large numbers of small craft packed with curious spectators made for the ship and provided a carnival atmosphere all around her. Two days later, on the 26th, Maitland weighed anchor for Plymouth where he and his celebrated passenger arrived within hours; Napoleon remained aboard Bellerophon for twelve days whilst the government decided what to do with him and, on 7th August, he transferred into H.M.S. Northumberland and embarked for St. Helena and exile. With the War over and the need for warships sharply decreased, Bellerophon was afterwards fitted out as a convict hulk and served thus for the remainder of her career, being renamed Captivity in 1824, until broken up in 1836.
- Dimensions:Height: 19.5 in (49.53 cm)Width: 23 in (58.42 cm)Depth: 0.1 in (2.54 mm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1827
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Lymington, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU973024369312
About the Seller
5.0
Recognized Seller
These prestigious sellers are industry leaders and represent the highest echelon for item quality and design.
Established in 1982
1stDibs seller since 2013
130 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 4 hours
Associations
LAPADA - The Association of Arts & Antiques Dealers
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Lymington, United Kingdom
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllClarkson Stanfield: The Gulf of Salerno
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
Clarkson Stanfield: The Gulf of Salerno
This oil painting on canvas shows commercial shipping and fishermen in the Gulf of Salerno. The tower at Vietri is visible in the background...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century English Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Paint
An oil on canvas of William Paget, Marquess of Anglesey’s yacht Pearl by Nicolas
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
An oil on canvas of William Paget, Marquess of Anglesey’s yacht Pearl by Nicolas Condy, the reverse with a paper trade label for ‘Akermann & Co, prepared millboards, pastels, canvass...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century English Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Paint
‘The Ark & the Dove off the Scillies with Lord Baltimore aboard’ Montague Dawson
By Montague Dawson
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
‘The Ark and the Dove off the Scillies with Lord Baltimore aboard’ by Montague Dawson, reputedly a commission for the White House, oil on board, showing the two ships of Cecilius Ca...
Category
Vintage 1960s English Paintings
Materials
Paint
Lady Macnaghten off the Eddystone Lighthouse
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
Lady Macnaghten of the Eddystone Lighthouse
Painting on oil of the three masted 588 ton carvel built ship "Lady Macnaghten" sailing under reduced sail. In the original gilt frame.
...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Paintings
Materials
Paint
A small oil painting of a fishing boat leaving Calais Harbour by E W Cooke
By Edward William Cooke
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A rediscovered small oil painting of a fishing boat leaving Calais Harbour by E W Cooke, depicting a fishing boat from Trouville battling stormy seas as it a...
Category
Antique 1810s English Paintings
Materials
Paint
H.M.S. Topaze by George Mears
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
H.M.S. Topaze by George Mears, the three-masted frigate shown under steam with Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert II in the background on her bow, oil on can...
Category
Antique 19th Century British Paintings
Materials
Paint
You May Also Like
Antique 19th Century Maritime Seascape War Ship Oil Painting HMS Britannia 1835
Located in Portland, OR
A fine & large antique maritime oil painting of the war ship HMS Britannia, by Robert Strickland Thomas (1787-1853), the painting circa 1835.
The painting depicts HMS Britannia broadside with several other war ships of the British fleet, most likely returning from the Mediterranean.
In the foreground are several small boats with sailors variously occupied attending to them. A yacht with a crowded deck is visible on the left. In the center foreground there is a barrel or possibly a buoy in the water, a device commonly employed in some of Thomas's paintings.
To the verso is an old auction label from the 1920s and another partial label, there are also some annotations on the stretcher with details of photographic images of the painting.
There is also an old label of ownership "Mrs. Strange 6 Elvaston Place", this address was a large Georgian house in the prestigious London borough of South Kensington.
The painting is in very good condition, this investment quality antique maritime painting...
Category
1830s English School Landscape Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Antique Marine Naval Ships Oil Painting French Frigate After Battle of Trafalgar
By Thomas Buttersworth
Located in Portland, OR
A fine & important oil on canvas maritime ship's painting by Thomas Buttersworth (1768-1842), "A French Frigate Driven Ashore in the Gale after Trafalgar, 22nd October, 1805".
This c...
Category
Early 1800s English School Landscape Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
"Shipping Off the Coast" by Thomas Luny
By Thomas Luny
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Shipping off the coast by English artist Thomas Luny. Oil on canvas signed and dated 35' in the lower left. Nice period and possibly original frame.
Thomas Luny (1759–1837), born in Cornwall, probably at St Ewe, was an English artist and painter, mostly of seascapes and other marine-based works. At the age of eleven, Luny left Cornwall to live in London. There he became the apprentice of Francis Holman, a marine painter who would have a great and long lasting artistic influence on Luny: Luny remained until 1780 in Holman's London studio, which, was first situated in Broad Street, St. George's, and later relocated to Old Gravel Lane.
Examples of his work are exhibited at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, and at The Mariners' Museum in Newport...
Category
Antique 1830s English Victorian Paintings
Materials
Paint
French School, 19TH CENTURY, Oil on Canvas - SPANISH GALLEONS AT ANCHOR IN A BAY
Located in TEYJAT, FR
French School, 19TH CENTURY, Oil on Canvas - SPANISH GALLEONS AT ANCHOR IN A BAY
Canvas size 65 x 40cms. Framed size 77 x 54cms.
This painting depicts a dramatic scene of Galleons...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Paintings
Materials
Canvas
"Naval Battle Scene" 19th Century Painting
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Oil on panel measuring 21" x 24.5" including the frame. The painting is signed in the lower right corner, but we cannot attribute the signature.
The scene is a lively naval battl...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Paintings
Materials
Paint
$2,240 Sale Price
30% Off
Early 19th Century Seascape by Thomas Buttersworth (1768-1842), circa 1820
Located in Nantucket, MA
Early 19th Century Seascape by Thomas Buttersworth (English: 1768 - 1842), circa 1820, an oil on canvas view of a ship, brig and small craft in the English Channel off the Cliffs of ...
Category
Antique 1820s English Other Paintings
Materials
Canvas
