The Battle of the Glorious First of June, 1794; the 'Defence' (?) and 'Le Vengeur' RMG L9777

The Battle of the Glorious First of June, 1794; the 'Defence' (?) and 'Le Vengeur'

Pocock was almost certainly present at the Battle of 1 June 1794 on board the 'Pegasus' (Captain Barlow), one of the frigates in Howe's fleet, which served to repeat Howe’s signals during the battle from an observing position to windward. A number of sketchbooks have survived filled with rapid sketches of it. Those which show the close engagement, like this, are the best representations we have of the impenetrable fog of gun smoke in which sea battles were fought, and of which later paintings recording them give a very false impression. In being present as a 'war artist' Pocock was following the precedent of van de Velde the Elder some 140 years earlier, and it is the first instance that we know of a professional artist accompanying a fleet with the intention of documenting the battle since van de Velde the Elder. Pocock subsequently made paintings of the battle, which he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1796 and 1797. One of these, showing the duel between 'Brunswick' and 'Vengeur', is in the Museum's collection (BHC0471) and this may, in fact, be what is shown here since it is not clear why the British vessel on the left has hitherto been identified at the 'Defence'. Exhibited: NMM Pocock exhib. (1975) no. 72.

Battle of the Glorious 1st June 1794