Napoleonic Wars (1803-15)
Views of naval engagements and maps of battles
Battle of Lissa, 1811
TO THE OFFICERS, SEAMEN & MARINES OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS AMPHION, CERBERUS, VOLAGE & ACTIVE, / This Plate represents their Attacking The United French and Italian Squadrons off the Island of Lissa in the Adriatic on the...
published 1 Feb 1812Aquatint with etching and engraving; printed on paper in black and blue; hand coloured; edged with paper | 50.2 x 63.4 cm (image) | RCIN 735161.a
The Amphion, shown in the middle of a group of three ships, right of centre of this view, was a 36-gun frigate of which William Hoste (later Sir William Hoste) had been captain since 13 October 1805. Between 23 June 1808 and 25 December 1809, the ship took or destroyed 218 enemy vessels. On this action, Hoste was outnumbered by six frigates to four, and by 276 guns and 2,000 men to 124 guns and 900 men. The other three British frigates, shown to the right of this view, were the Cerberus, Active and Volage.
One of a pair of aquatints by Lambe; the companion print is at RCIN 735161.b. Parker makes no mention of a pair of aquatints published by Lambe and, in the absence of an artist's or engraver's name, must be referring to RCIN 735161.a.
Additional text: [bottom left, left of title, a summary of guns and men, etc:] FRENCH FORCE [bottom right, right of title, a summary of guns and men, etc:] ENGLISH FORCE.
For further reading, see:
J.K. Laughton, 'Hoste, Sir William, first baronet (1780–1828)', Dictionary of National Biography, 2004; online edition 2007.
Condition: no fold lines.
R. Lambe (active 1812-1823) (publisher) [bottom centre, below title:] London. Published Feb.y 1.st 1812. by R. Lambe. N.o 39. Fleet Street.
? Henri Merke (c. 1760-after 1820) (engraver)
? George Webster (d. 1864) (artist)
Watermark: J WHATMAN 1810
Condition: no fold lines
45.6 x 63.4 cm (neatline)
0.2 x 63.4 cm (image)
53.1 x 68.4 cm (platemark)
55.2 x 71.0 cm (sheet)
Printed title:
TO THE OFFICERS, SEAMEN & MARINES OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS AMPHION, CERBERUS, VOLAGE & ACTIVE, / This Plate represents their Attacking The United French and Italian Squadrons off the Island of Lissa in the Adriatic on the 13.th March 1811. / This Plate is with great respect dedicated by their most obed.t h.ble Serv.t / R. Lambe. [bottom, below view]
Additional text:
[bottom left, left of title, a summary of guns and men, etc:] FRENCH FORCE [bottom right, right of title, a summary of guns and men, etc:] ENGLISH FORCE.
Annotations:
(Recto) [bottom left, ?in Evelyn Heaton-Smith's hand, black pencil:] XV-161-a. (Verso) [bottom left, black pencil:] 210.b.(1); [top right, black pencil:] 6; [centre, black pencil:] 1811-6.
George III catalogue entry:
Naval Engagement Two views of the Engagement between H.M. Ships Amphion, Cerberus, Volage and Active, and the united French and Italian Squadrons, off the Island of Lissa in the Adriatic Sea, on the 13,th of March 1811: by Webster, engraved by Merke and published by Lambe, 1812.
Subject(s)
Vis, island: Splitsko-Dalmatinska, Croatia (43°02'42"N 16°09'06"E)
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.210.b
J.K. Laughton, 'Hoste, Sir William, first baronet (1780–1828)', Dictionary of National Biography, 2004; online edition 2007.
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
