An English Man-of-War Firing a Salute RMG BHC1041

An English two-decker man-of-war lying becalmed in a harbour with sails loosened. It is firing a salute to port. To the left the stern of a galley is visible round a quay, with a boat loaded with barrels alongside. The stylized portrayal of this ship is a typical feature of Scott's work. The buildings in the distance, the architecture on the left in the foreground, the galley and the apparent lateen rig of the vessel on the far right, as well as the warm glow suffusing the whole, all evoke a Mediterranean port scene. It is painted freely in the manner of a sketch, with evident brushstrokes visible.
Scott belonged to the first generation of British marine painters, who worked in the tradition of the van de Veldes and the other Dutch artists who came to practice in London from the 1670s. His reputation chiefly rests on his topographical views of London but he was a very good marine painter, who accepted commissions like this and whose artistic and social skills eclipsed - at least in business terms - those of his slightly earlier contemporary Peter Monamy. He was notably averse to travelling by sea himself but produced many small drawings and watercolours to be incorporated later as details into his oils, such as men rowing and unloading boats, and often drew his ships from models.