Napoleonic Wars (1803-15)
Views of naval engagements and maps of battles
Serra do Busacco, 1810
A View of the SERRO DE BUSACCO at S.T ANTONIO DE CANTARO, shewing the Attack by Marshal Reigniers upon that part of the Position occupied / by the 3.rd Division British and Portuguese under L.t Gen.l Sir Thomas Picton, 27...
published 18 Aug 1815Aquatint with etching and engraving; printed on paper; hand coloured; edged with paper | 36.9 x 50.1 cm (image) | RCIN 735155.f
The strong resistance of the 3rd Division in the Battle of Bussaco resulted in their being called 'the fighting division'. They are shown here, on the heights of the ten-mile-long ridge of Bussaco, repulsing the French who were forced to retreat. Picton, shown to the left, astride a white charger, urges his men onwards while Reynier and his men retreat down the slopes.
This is one of a set of twelve prints in the K.Mil. collection (RCINs 735155.a-m) of the principal occurrences of the campaigns in Spain and Portugal in 1810 and 1811 after paintings by Thomas Staunton St Clair. For more information on this set, see RCIN 735155.
For further reading, see:
R. Havard, 'Picton, Sir Thomas (1758–1815)', Dictionary of National Biography, 2004.
Condition: no fold lines.
Thomas Staunton St Clair (1785-1847) (artist) [bottom left, below edge of view:] Major T. S.t Clair pinx.t
Charles Turner (1774-1857) (engraverand publisher) [bottom right, below edge of view:] C. Turner sculp.t
Josiah Boydell (18 January 1752-27 March 1817) (publisher)
John Booth (active 1794-1840) (publisher)
Colnaghi & Co (c.1785-1911) (publisher)
Anthony Molteno (active 1783-1830) (publisher)
Rudolph Ackermann (1764-1834) [bottom centre, below title:] London, Published August 18th 1815, by C. Turner 50 Warren Street, Fitzroy Square, Mess.rs Colnaghi & C.o Cockspur Street, M.r Ackerman, Strand, Mess.rs Boydell & C.o Cheapside & M.r Booth, Duke Street, Portland Chapel.
Watermark: J WHATMAN [date cropped or partly obscured by paper edging]
Condition: no fold lines
33.6 x 50.1 cm (neatline)
36.9 x 50.1 cm (image)
41.0 x 57.5 cm (platemark)
43.3 x 60.1 cm (sheet)
Printed title:
A View of the SERRO DE BUSACCO at S.T ANTONIO DE CANTARO, shewing the Attack by Marshal Reigniers upon that part of the Position occupied / by the 3.rd Division British and Portuguese under L.t Gen.l Sir Thomas Picton, 27,,th Sep.r 1810. The 88.th British and 8.th Portuguese Reg.ts in the act of engaging with the Enemy. [bottom centre, below view]
Annotations:
(Recto) [‘N.o 6’ has been added in black pencil below the view.] [Bottom left, black pencil, in Evelyn Heaton-Smith’s hand:] G.3 [and] XV-155-f. (Verso) [top right, black pencil:] 32; [bottom right, black pencil:] Crookshank p.46 No 55 AMOT 789 (6); [centre, black pencil:] 1811-32; [bottom right, black pencil, obscured by paper edging:] 21/.
George III catalogue entry:
Spain Twelve Views of the principal occurences of the Campaigns of 1810 and 1811 in Spain and Portugal: by Major T. S.t Clair, engraved by C. Turner, 1812-15.
Subject(s)
Serra do Bussaco, Coimbra, Portugal (40°20'12"N 08°20'12"W)
Bibliographic reference(s)
C. de W. Crookshank, Prints of British Military Operations: a cat. raisonné with historical descriptions covering the period from...Abyssinia, London, 1922, no.54. The annotations on the verso of the print record this as no.55 in Crookshank; this is an error
R. Havard, 'Picton, Sir Thomas (1758–1815)', Dictionary of National Biography, 2004.
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
