French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802)
Maps and prints of naval engagements collected by George III during the decade of war
Cherbourg, 1793 (Cherbourg-Octeville, Basse-Normandy, France) 49°38'23"N 01°36'58"W
c.1793Aquatint with etching and engraving; printed on paper | 36.0 x 44.7 cm (image) | RCIN 735018.b
This print shows the Reunion on the right, firing a broadside at the Crescent; the coastline of Cherbourg is in the background to the right. The artist, Lieutenant J. Mackellar, is probably John Mackellar, the son of the Chief Engineer of Minorca, Colonel Patrick Mackellar, whose maps are well represented in K.Mil. John Mackellar rose to become Admiral of the Blue in 1847.
A companion print, not present in this collection, was published with the title 'To the Rt. Honble. the Earl of Chatham, First Lord of the Admiralty, &c. &c. this Plate, representing the Commencement of the Action between his Majesty's Ship Crescent, & the French Frigate Le Reunion off Cape Barleur, the 20th Octr 1793; is by Permission humbly Dedicated, By ... J. Mackellar'. (Lot 466 in an undated Grosvenor Prints online catalogue with the provenance of the Saumarez family.)
Additional text; [bottom left, left of title:] Crescent 36 Guns / not a man killed or wounded. [Bottom right, right of title:] La Reunion 36 Guns / 120 Men killed & wounded.
Condition: one fold line; creased; brown staining to both sides. Verso: surface dirt.
J[ohn?] Mackellar (1766/68-1854) (artist) [bottom left, below edge of view:] Drawn by Lieu.t J. Mackellar Royal Navy.
John Wells (active 1784-1809) (engraver) [bottom right, below edge of view:] Engrav’d by J. Wells; [bottom, left of centre, below title:] London, Publish’d for Lieu.t Mackellar, at N.o 6, Great Marlboro’ Street.
Subject(s)
Navy-FranceRoyal NavyWatermark: None
Condition: one fold line; creased; brown staining to both sides. Verso: surface dirt
29.8 x 44.7 cm (neatline)
36.0 x 44.7 cm (image)
cropped (platemark)
40.4 x 50.1 cm (sheet)
Printed title:
To the R,,t Hon,,ble the EARL of CHATHAM, First Lord of the Admiralty, &c. &c. / this Plate, representing the French Frigate La Reunion, stricking within sight of Cherbourg, to His Majesty’s Ship / Crescent, after an Action of two hours & twenty minutes, is by Permission humbly Dedicated, / By His Lordship’s / most obed,,t h,,ble Servant / J. Mackellar. [bottom, below view]
Additional text:
[bottom left, left of title:] Crescent 36 Guns / not a man killed or wounded. [Bottom right, right of title:] La Reunion 36 Guns / 120 Men killed & wounded.
Annotations:
George III heading: Naval Engagement 20 Oct. 1793.
Other annotations: (Recto) [bottom left, between the last two lines of engraved text, black pencil:] Captain Saumarez. (Verso) [bottom left, black pencil, in a contemporary hand:] 97.d.; [bottom right, black pencil:] 20 Oct. 1793; [bottom right, black pencil, illegible marks].
George III catalogue entry:
Naval Engagement Representation of the French Frigate la Reunion striking within sight of Cherbourg to his Majesty’s Ship Crescent, Captain Saumarez, on the 20.th of Oct.r 1793: by Lieut. I. Mackellar, engraved by Wells.
Subject(s)
Cherbourg-Octeville, Basse-Normandy, France (49°38'23"N 01°36'58"W)
Bibliographic reference(s)
H. Parker, Naval battles from the collection of prints formed and owned by Commander Sir Charles Leopold Cust. With an introduction by C.N. Robinson, London 1911, no.97.d. This entry refers to a pair of aquatints after Mackellar; only one print is listed in the George III catalogue
Page revisions
5 June 2024
Current version
