The London and the Marengo by Admiral Sir Charles Burrard - 19th Century Watercolour

Admiral Sir Charles Burrard (1793-1870), Attributed – The “London” and the “Marengo”

Watercolour inscribed with the title; The “London” and the “Marengo.” 13th March 1806 (lower right). The picture would have been painted from memory in the 19th century, the date 1806 is the year of the event and not when the picture was painted. The inscription on the mount is handwritten in pen and black ink which gives a full description of the ships and events leading to the capture of the French squadron. The British squadron consisted of the 98-gun ship “London” Captained by Sir Harry Burrard Neale. A repeat of the description is typed onto a label which has been glued to the back of the mount. The oak frame has a brass presentation plaque as a prize for shooting, awarded to Major G. Burrard. Condition: There is some surface dirt on the watercolour, otherwise the picture is in good condition. The frame has been polished, the glass cleaned, and the backing has been replaced using acid free board.

Watercolour: 10 1/4 x 16 5/8 in. (26 x 42.3 cm.)

Frame: 19 1/2 x 26 in. (49.3 x 86 cm.)

Provenance: Burrard family collection.

Sir Charles Burrard (1793-1870) joined the Royal Navy at the age of 11, in 1805. By 1806 he was aboard HMS London as a Midshipman. This was during the Napoleonic Wars, months after the Battle of Trafalgar. In the morning darkness of the 13th March, French commerce raiders mistook the ships of his squadron for merchantmen. Before the French surrender, 10 men had been killed and 22 wounded aboard HMS London during hours of thunderous gunfire. It has been recorded that Burrard later painted this event from a removed third-person viewpoint (likely to be our watercolour).

Sir Charles was a prolific artist and has left substantial numbers of his watercolours and sketches, all of which appear to be in private hands. His marine paintings, of scenes during the French wars, may have been done partly from memory or from sketches made at the time.

A full account of his life is available to view on our website: Radnorshire Fine Arts - Search - Charles Burrard

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