Thomas Buttersworth

Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 12 April 1995, lot 14;
Where acquired by the present owner.

The Battle of the Nile took place on 1 August 1798, near Rosetta, between the French fleet under Brueys, and the British under Sir Horatio Nelson. Nine of the French line-of-battle ships were taken, two were burnt, and two escaped. The French ship, L'Orient, with Brueys and 1,000 men on board, blew up and only 70 or 80 escaped. Nelson's exclamation upon commencing the battle was ‘Victory or Westminster Abbey’. This painting depicts the battle at around 10 pm with the L'Orient blowing up and shows Nelson's flagship the Vanguard as the nearest British ship on the left of the picture.