Thomas Luny

Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 26 March 2004, lot 36;
Anonymous sale ("The Property of a Gentleman"), London, Sotheby's, 5 July 2012, lot 278.

The canvas is relined. Overall the picture is in good condition. The vast majority of detailing and shading is well preserved. The varnish is a bit dull and could be freshened up, which would brighten the palette. UV light reveals retouching around the edges of the composition, likely applied due to older frame abrasion. The interior of the composition is well preserved, with a few small isolated retouches visible in the smoke plume at lower center as well as in the sky. In a carved gilt wood frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This impressive painting commemorates the action under the command of Admiral Lord Exmouth off Algiers on 27 August 1816.  Following Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815, the Royal Navy no longer needed the assistance of the Barbary States as a source of supplies for Gibraltar and would no longer tolerate further threat of piracy in the Mediterranean, or the systemic enslavement of Europeans in North Africa.  A  diplomatic mission was undertaken to secure the release of British subjects held in captivity.  However, when Algerian troops massacred two hundred Corsican, Sicilian and Sardinian fishermen who were under British protection, it was finally decided that action should be taken.

Lord Exmouth set sail from Plymouth on 28 July 1816 with two three-deckers, the Queen Charlotte, with 100 guns, the Impregnable, with 98 guns, as well as three 74-gun ships, one 50-gun ship, four frigates, and nine smaller vessels.  At Gibraltar he was joined by a squadron of Dutch frigates under the command of Vice Admiral Theodorus Frederik van Capellen.  The fleet reached Algiers on 27 August and, when no answer was given to Lord Exmouth’s demands for the release of prisoners, the order was given to fire.  The fire was returned and a fierce action ensued, lasting eight hours.  The Algerian batteries were destroyed, along with thirty-three Algerian vessels and much of the town.  The result was the release of three thousand European slaves, over a thousand of them British, along with the British Consul.  Lord Exmouth returned to England in triumph.