Battle of Copenhagen, 1801

BATAILLEN d.2 April 1801, paa KIØBENHAVNS Reed

A view of the Battle of Copenhagen, fought on 2 April 1801, between the British fleet, under the command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker (1739-1807), and a Danish-Norwegian fleet which was anchored off Copenhagen, resulting in a strategic British victory. French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802).

This example is probably a proof copy. The lettering of the title on this example of the print is in outline, and the lettering of the creators' names is also faint. Another state exists (RCIN 770115) with a dedication below the title: 'Kronprindsen af Dannemark og Norge &. &. &. underdanigst tilegnet' and with infilled title lettering. The creators' names are more strongly engraved and an additional inscription: 'af I.F. Clemens.' is engraved bottom right.

An engraved key to the view (RCIN 735093.b) is attached to the left edge.

This view is taken from a point somewhere along the present-day Langeliniebugten, looking over the Danish naval shipyard of Nyholm, north-north-east towards the raging battle. The Danish (in the foreground) and British ships are obscured by smoke and the sea is alive with the splashes of falling cannon balls. In the foreground, right of centre, are the main buildings of the arsenal. A large pile of ammunition can be seen through the arched entrance in the wall. To the right of these buildings, separated by a stretch of water, perhaps a canal, and along a strip of land, are two small roofed structures which are, according to the key, gunpowder towers on the Fordækte road to Quintus. This road may be the present-day Krudtløbsvej. At the northern end of that road is a structure resembling a mast with four cross bars. This was the Nyholm mast, one of the chain of signal stations which stretched along the coast from Kronborg. This mast stands on the Quintus battery. The tall building to the left of the two ships under construction in the middle foreground, is the Nyholm crane. The large building at the extreme left of the view is a warehouse which, according to the key, obscures a view of the water where there was, in any case, no action. Beyond the warehouse are two sea batteries. The larger of these is the Tekroner Fort, and the right hand battery is a small lunette.

It was at this battle that Vice-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson famously ignored Rear-Admiral Sir Hyde Parker's order to withdraw, turning his blind eye to the signal and going on to destroy a number of enemy ships before a truce was agreed.

Condition: no fold lines; brown discolouration; 11 mm tear to centre of left edge; two tears, 14 mm and 11 mm to bottom edge; brown staining to bottom and right edge; surface dirt. Verso: substantial brown staining to bottom and left edges.