Culloden
The second of the pair entitled 'His Majesty's Ship Culloden’, includes the artists recollection of the event in finely detailed script within a circular badge held aloft by two angels in the upper left corner. Which reads as follows: “His Majesty’s Ship Culloden taking Out the prisoners of the Vengeun French 74 being 150 the rest being 350 Sunk with her having 200 killed in action having flying and English Jack Over * French colours flying when She went down on the 1st of June 1794 Under Earl Howe.” The composition contains details that convey the aftermath of the battle, with figures, rigging, a mast-less ship, and several smaller boats being rowed away from the defeated French vessel. The combination of script and visual detail capture the drama of the event, a simple direct style we also witness with fraktur and penmanship art of the period. These paintings succeed in capturing the trauma of the event while conveying the details with images and text. It is unusual for naive artworks of this nature and period (a work on paper) to survive without significant deterioration. Capturing for posterity for others to ponder and reflect upon. Both paintings in period matching ebonised frames.
: Property of the 6th Earl Howe of Gopsall Park and Penn House, thence by descent to a Lady of title.
