The 'Queen Charlotte' at the Review at Spithead, 1790

Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

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Notes

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This review at Spithead, which the artist may have witnessed, demonstrated England's sea power just before the French Revolutionary Wars. In this interpretation, ships ride at anchor at Spithead, opposite Portsmouth, the most important naval base in the country. To the left of centre, the dominant ship is Admiral Lord Howe's flagship, 'Queen Charlotte', a new 104-gun first-rate. Her figurehead is clearly shown, and she fires a salute in honour of the Admiral who is being rowed over in his barge in the foreground. 'Queen Charlotte' flies a Union flag at the main since Lord Howe, as senior Admiral of the Red, was Admiral of the Fleet. To the left, other ships are portrayed anchored in lines both to the right of the 'Queen Charlotte', and on the horizon, indicating the strength and power of the Navy.

National Maritime Museum

London

Title

The 'Queen Charlotte' at the Review at Spithead, 1790

Date

1790

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 77.5 x W 123.2 cm

Accession number

BHC2260

Work type

Painting

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