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 Situation & the Enemys Squadron at the time of the Blowing up of the French Commodore, off the...
published 1 Feb 1812Aquatint with etching and engraving; printed on paper in black, brown and blue; hand coloured; edged with paper | 50.2 x 63.0 cm (image) | RCIN 735161.b
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.a. 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.
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 Fleet Street.
Henri Merke (c. 1760-after 1820) (engraver) [bottom right, below edge of view:] H. Merke sculp.
George Webster (d. 1864) (artist) [bottom left, below edge of view:] G. Webster pinx.t
Watermark: J WHATMAN [date not visible]
Condition: no fold lines
45.6 x 63.0 cm (neatline)
50.2 x 63.0 cm (image)
[cropped] x 67.7 cm (platemark)
54.0 x 70.6 cm (sheet)
Printed title:
TO THE OFFICERS, SEAMEN & MARINES OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS AMPHION, CERBERUS, VOLAGE & ACTIVE, / This Plate represents their Situation & the Enemys Squadron at the time of the Blowing up of the French Commodore, off the Island of Lissa in the Adriatic, on the 13th March 1811 / This Plate is with great respect Dedicated by their most obed,,t h,,ble Serv,,t / R. Lambe. [bottom, below view]
Annotations:
(Recto) [bottom left, black pencil:] XV.161.b. (Verso) [bottom left, black pencil:] 210.b.(ii); [top right, black pencil:] 7; [bottom right, black pencil:] 31/6; [centre, black pencil:] 1811-7.
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)
J.K. Laughton, 'Hoste, Sir William, first baronet (1780–1828)', Dictionary of National Biography, 2004; online edition 2007.
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
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
