George Chambers, British 1803-1840- The Bombardment of Algiers, 27 August 1816 (?); oil on millboard, indistinctly signed '...BERS 35' (lower left), with (presumably) J. M. W. Turner’s blindstamp (Lugt 1498) verso, 25.3 x 35.4 cm., (unframed)...

George Chambers,

British 1803-1840-

The Bombardment of Algiers, 27 August 1816 (?);

oil on millboard, indistinctly signed '...BERS 35' (lower left), with (presumably) J. M. W. Turner’s blindstamp (Lugt 1498) verso, 25.3 x 35.4 cm., (unframed).

Provenance: [Probably] J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851).; Collection of Sir & Mrs Julius Drewe.; Collection of Pierre Bordeaux-Groult (1916-2007), Chateau de Moncley, France.; Anon. sale, Shapiro Auctions, New York, 12 March 2016, lot 4 (as 'Attributed to Joseph Mallord William Turner', $25,000); Private Collection.

Note: The present work seems to be an early oil sketch for the artist’s very large finished canvas painted for the Naval Gallery at Greenwich Hospital in 1836 (National Maritime Museum, BHC0617; Greenwich Hospital Collection) and in particular bears close compositional affinities with one of other preparatory studies in the NMM collection (PAF5973). In comparing it with the latter, note for example the position of the yards of the ship at left, the bow of the ship at right, and the ship at centre (albeit in different aspect and less developed in the present work). In the finished painting, the ships at centre (the 'Minden') and centre-right distance (the 'Queen Charlotte') are flying blue ensigns astern, and the latter also a plain blue flag at the mainmast, all denoting the Admiral of the Blue rank of the British fleet commander, Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, Lord Exmouth. This corresponds with the present work, in which the ship at centre similarly flies the blue ensign astern.

The bombardment was essentially the final and decisive action intended to put an end to the commerce-raiding and (white) slave-taking of the Dey of Algiers, practically the last of the active 'Barbary pirate' city-states. The Anglo-Dutch fleet set the harbour ships and fortified lighthouse on fire, as well as considerable parts of the city, with Congreve rockets being among the munitions used – as shown in the burning background here and in the other variants held at Greenwich.

The only element of doubt about subject is the rather large line-up of ships in the background, which might suggest a more conventional battle. An obvious one is the Battle of the Nile in 1798, in which Nelson's fleet also flew blue ensigns and the French flagship 'L'Orient' caught fire and blew up. That occurred after dark, however (about 10.30 p.m.), and this study does not suggest either night action or general dispositions at the Nile, which is also not a subject Chambers is known to have painted.

We are grateful to Dr Pieter van der Merwe for suggesting the attribution of the present lot and for his assistance with the catalogue note.
Please refer to department for condition report