Victorian British Naval Battle Oil Painting Lord Howe HMS Queen Charlotte After Mather Brown c.1850

Victorian British Naval Battle Oil Painting Lord Howe HMS Queen Charlotte After Mather Brown c.1850 An important mid-nineteenth-century British School naval history painting depicting Admiral Richard Howe aboard HMS Queen Charlotte during the celebrated Battle of the Glorious First of June, 1794. Executed in oil on metal panel, circa 1850, this historical marine painting follows the monumental composition by Mather Brown (1761–1831), preserved in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. The reverse retains a fragmentary nineteenth-century artists' supplier label, provisionally identified as Winsor & Newton, while the documented provenance includes a private collection in Conwy, North Wales. Highlights - Original antique British School oil painting on metal panel - Victorian period, circa 1850 - After Mather Brown (1761–1831) - Admiral Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe - HMS Queen Charlotte and the Glorious First of June, 1794 - Historical Royal Navy and military portraiture - Depiction of the mortally wounded Lieutenant Nevile - Original composition in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich - Related to Daniel Orme's published engraving of 1795 - Fragmentary Winsor & Newton supplier label, provisional identification - Historical British Royal Arms on the reverse label - Private collection, Conwy, North Wales - Rogers Jones & Co., 21 January 2025, Lot 79 - Decorative gilt frame - Framed dimensions: 66.5 × 56.5 × 4.5 cm - Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution included Introduction A compelling Victorian marine painting commemorating one of the most celebrated British naval victories of the eighteenth century. The work depicts Admiral Richard Howe and his officers aboard the quarterdeck of HMS Queen Charlotte during the Battle of the Glorious First of June, fought against the French Atlantic Fleet on 1 June 1794. Rather than concentrating exclusively upon the opposing fleets, the composition presents the human consequences of battle through the gathering of officers and soldiers surrounding the mortally wounded Lieutenant Nevile of the Queen's Regiment. The painting derives from Mather Brown's celebrated historical composition, completed shortly after the engagement and subsequently reproduced through Daniel Orme's engraving of 1795. Its historical subject, distinctive metal support, surviving artists' supplier label and documented auction provenance make it an interesting example of nineteenth-century British naval history painting. Catalogue Details Artist: British School, after Mather Brown (1761–1831) Title: Lord Howe on the Deck of HMS Queen Charlotte, 1 June 1794 Origin: Britain Date: Circa 1850 Medium: Oil on metal panel Signature: Unsigned Subject: Admiral Lord Howe, HMS Queen Charlotte, British naval history and the French Revolutionary Wars Painting Dimensions: Approximately 39.5 cm W × 29 cm H, as previously catalogued Framed Dimensions: 66.5 cm W × 56.5 cm H × 4.5 cm D Frame: Decorative gilt frame Historical Label: Fragmentary artists' supplier label, provisionally identified as Winsor & Newton Catalogue Note The composition depicts an elaborate historical scene aboard HMS Queen Charlotte, Admiral Howe's flagship during the battle. Howe stands towards the left of the principal gathering, wearing formal naval uniform and a distinctive cocked hat. Sir Roger Curtis, Captain of the Fleet, is positioned near a cannon. The central group surrounds the mortally wounded Lieutenant Nevile of the Queen's Regiment, supported by Lieutenant Walter Lock. Other figures identified in Brown's original composition include Captain Tudor, Major Isaac, Sir Andrew Snape Douglas and Graham Eden Hamond. Douglas, the flag captain of HMS Queen Charlotte, is represented with a head wound. Beyond the assembled officers, warships engage amid cannon smoke and the confusion of battle. The composition combines individual historical portraiture with an emotionally charged representation of military sacrifice. This approach reflects the influence of late eighteenth-century British historical painting, particularly the tradition established by Benjamin West. The present work preserves the principal narrative of Brown's celebrated composition. The Artist – After Mather Brown (1761–1831) Mather Brown was an American-born painter who established his artistic career in Britain. Born in Boston in 1761, Brown travelled to London in 1781 and studied in the artistic circle of Benjamin West. He entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1782 and subsequently developed a career producing portraits and ambitious historical compositions. Brown exhibited extensively at the Royal Academy and attracted patrons from prominent British families and the royal household. He was described as Historical Painter to the Duke and Duchess of York. His original depiction of Lord Howe aboard HMS Queen Charlotte became one of his most ambitious historical paintings. Brown travelled to Portsmouth to study the flagship, examine captured French vessels and prepare sketches of participating officers. The resulting composition combined detailed historical research with identifiable portraiture. The painting was exhibited in London in 1795 and subsequently reproduced by Daniel Orme. Brown died in London in 1831. The present work is catalogued as British School, after Mather Brown, indicating its relationship to his composition rather than confirmed authorship. Historical Context – The Glorious First of June, 1794 The Battle of the Glorious First of June was fought in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ushant during the French Revolutionary Wars. Admiral Richard Howe commanded the British Channel Fleet against the French Atlantic Fleet under Rear-Admiral Louis-Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse. The British sought to intercept an important French grain convoy returning from North America. Following preliminary engagements in late May, the opposing fleets confronted one another on 1 June 1794. Howe directed his warships to penetrate the French battle line and engage their opponents at close quarters. The British secured a major tactical victory, capturing six French ships of the line and sinking another. The French grain convoy nevertheless reached France, allowing both countries to claim success in different respects. The engagement became an important subject of British patriotic commemoration. HMS Queen Charlotte – Admiral Howe's Flagship HMS Queen Charlotte was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line launched in 1790. She served as Admiral Howe's flagship during the battle. During the engagement, the vessel passed astern of the French flagship Montagne and delivered a powerful broadside. Her prominent role in the victory made HMS Queen Charlotte an enduring subject of British naval history. Lieutenant Nevile and the Queen's Royal Regiment The painting's central wounded officer represents Lieutenant Nevile of the Queen's Regiment. Detachments of the Queen's (Second) Royal Regiment of Foot served aboard British warships during the French Revolutionary Wars. Historical accounts associated with Brown's composition describe how a cannonball struck Nevile's sword, driving part of the shattered weapon into his body. His death became a prominent element of the battle's artistic commemoration. The Queen's Regiment subsequently received permission to display a Naval Crown inscribed 1 JUNE 1794 upon its Colours. Admiral Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe (1726–1799) Richard Howe was among Britain's leading eighteenth-century naval commanders. Born in London in 1726, he entered the Royal Navy in 1739. His career included service during the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. In 1782, Howe successfully relieved Gibraltar. He subsequently served as First Lord of the Admiralty before returning to operational command during the French Revolutionary Wars. His victory on 1 June 1794 established him as a celebrated national figure. King George III visited HMS Queen Charlotte on 26 June 1794 and presented Howe with a ceremonial sword. Howe became Admiral of the Fleet in 1796 and was appointed a Knight of the Garter in 1797. He died in 1799. The Original Mather Brown Painting – National Maritime Museum, Greenwich Brown's original painting is preserved in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, accession BHC2740. Completed circa 1794, the monumental oil on canvas measures approximately 259 × 365.7 cm. The painting was exhibited in London in 1795 by Daniel Orme, accompanied by an identification key naming the principal figures. The National Maritime Museum records that the original canvas was subsequently reduced on all four sides. This is particularly relevant when comparing later versions, as the contemporary engraving preserves elements no longer visible in the surviving canvas. The present painting reproduces Brown's composition on a smaller metal support. Daniel Orme's Historic Engraving of 1795 Daniel Orme (1766–1832) published an engraving after Brown's composition on 1 October 1795. The engraving helped circulate the historical subject among collectors and admirers of British naval history. Examples survive at Royal Museums Greenwich, references PAH7879 and PAI6371, and in the Royal Collection. The engraving provides a possible source for later painted copies. Whether the present work was executed directly from Orme's engraving, Brown's original painting or another intermediary image remains unconfirmed. The Historic Winsor & Newton Artists' Supplier Label The reverse retains a substantially deteriorated nineteenth-century printed trade label incorporating the British Royal Arms. Comparative examination suggests that the label may have been produced by Winsor & Newton, the London artists' colourmen established in 1832. The firm supplied artists' colours and commercially prepared painting supports, including metal panels. Its historical royal appointments included Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Comparable labels are documented in the National Portrait Gallery's research into British artists' suppliers. The present label is incomplete and cannot be fully transcribed. Its identification as Winsor & Newton remains provisional. The reference to Prince Albert relates to the supplier's royal appointment and does not establish royal ownership of the painting. Dating The painting is catalogued circa 1850, consistent with its apparent nineteenth-century character and historical presentation. The proposed Winsor & Newton label provides potentially useful supporting material evidence. However, prepared supports could be used after manufacture, and supplier labels sometimes remained in circulation over extended periods. The exact date of execution therefore remains an informed catalogue assessment. Comparable Works Mather Brown, Lord Howe on the Deck of the Queen Charlotte, 1 June 1794, circa 1794, oil on canvas, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, BHC2740. Daniel Orme, engraving after Mather Brown, published 1 October 1795, Royal Museums Greenwich, PAH7879 and PAI6371. Royal Collection Trust, related engraving and identification material, RCIN 735027.a and RCIN 735027.b. These works provide historical and compositional comparisons rather than proof of direct provenance. Historical Auction Identification Rogers Jones & Co., Colwyn Bay, offered the painting on 21 January 2025 as Lot 79. It was catalogued as an unsigned oil on metal panel after Mather Brown. The auction description recorded provenance from a private collection in Conwy, North Wales. Provenance Private collection, Conwy, North Wales. Rogers Jones & Co., Colwyn Bay, Jewellery, Collectables & Fine Art, 21 January 2025, Lot 79. Acquired at the above sale by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. Original purchase invoice retained, reference 16171, auction reference NV210125. Earlier ownership has not been established. Dimensions Overall Framed Dimensions Height: 56.5 cm Width: 66.5 cm Depth: 4.5 cm Painting Height: approximately 29 cm Width: approximately 39.5 cm Painting measurements are taken from the previous auction catalogue and remain subject to physical confirmation. Framing and Presentation The painting is presented in a decorative gilt frame. The traditional presentation complements the historical naval composition. The frame's original date has not been independently established. A hanging thread is fitted to the reverse. . Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the artwork’s catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, exhibition history and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record. Attribution and Research The historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis, dating and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available physical evidence, historic inscriptions, comparative research, published reference material and our experience within the international fine art market. These observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact or guarantees of authorship, attribution, date, origin, provenance or historical interpretation. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations. 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