Peter Monamy, (London 1681-1749)
The venerable HMS Eagle making ready to sail from her offshore anchorage, probably at the Nore
The venerable HMS Eagle making ready to sail from her offshore anchorage, probably at the Nore
oil on canvas
83 x 122.5cm (32 11/16 x 48 1/4in).
Provenance
Admiral Sir John Peter Lorne Reid GCB CVO (1903-1973), Bolton.
Private collection, UK.
Whilst not a retrospective in the accepted sense, this work depicts an elderly 3rd rate, a vessel seemingly from an earlier age, past her prime and in her twilight years. The overly high stern, in conjunction with the elegant side windows of her stern galleries, are both features more typical of the ships-of-war dating to the reign of Charles II and the navy of Samuel Pepys during his hugely influential tenure as Chief Secretary to the Admiralty. Notwithstanding her outward appearance however, the vessel is clearly flying the new 'Red Ensign' introduced into the fleet after the Act of Union with Scotland in 1707 and which alone confirms her longevity. Almost certainly one of Pepys's celebrated 'Thirty Ship Programme' of 1677, a surprisingly large number of those ships (built between 1678 and 1680) were still in service in 1707, although by then all of them would have been altered, repaired or, in some cases, completely rebuilt to reflect the continual ravages of the sea, battle damage or to incorporate periodic changes in armament. As the largest 'class' within the 1677 Programme, the twenty 3rd rates - of which Eagle was one - have since been described by some naval historians as "the best-looking sailing ships ever completed", but attempting to name a specific vessel within the twenty is complicated by the fact that "the individual ship design was in each case left to the builder."
It is usual to identify these majestic ships by a careful study of their highly ornate stern carvings which usually include either royal ciphers, regal initials, or other similarly characteristic details. Unfortunately, this handsome bow view robs us of those clues although the distinctive side panes of the stern gallery windows shown here are strikingly similar to those featured on the splendid but short-lived Coronation, a large 2nd rate launched at Portsmouth in 1685. It is interesting to speculate therefore that this vessel might also be a Portsmouth-built ship which narrows the field considerably and offers up two possibilities, namely the Eagle and the Expedition. Of the two, the more likely candidate is the Eagle which, having been repaired and reconditioned at Chatham in 1699-1700, then served with distinction during the War of the Spanish Succession, mostly in the Mediterranean, and was part of Sir George Rooke's fleet which famously took Gibraltar in 1704. By 1707, Eagle was in Sir Cloudesley Shovell's squadron in the Mediterranean which, whilst returning home for the winter, was wrecked on the Isles of Scilly on 22nd October that year due to faulty navigation. This error resulted in one of the most spectacular disasters in the long history of the Royal Navy and this painting may well be a memorial to the loss of a fine old ship and all those who perished in her.
Peter Monamy was born in London in 1681, the youngest son of a Guernsey man. Throughout his career he was heavily influenced by the works of Willem van de Velde, the Younger and other North European, Dutch and French masters. Monamy was himself a collector of Van de Velde's drawings and these influenced his development as a maritime painter resulting in numerous commissions from mercantile and naval patrons, including the famous Channel Island's naval families, the Durrels and the Saumarezs.
In 1726, he was elected a Liveryman of the Company of Painter-Stainers, to which he presented a very large painting of the 'Royal Sovereign at anchor' which still remains in their collection. Although his paintings usually depict actual ships, they rarely record specific events as, up until 1739, his career coincided with a long period of peace. From the 1730s until his death, Monamy was at the centre of London's artistic life and was a friend and companion of Hogarth, sometimes collaborating with the celebrated younger artist. Despite his many commissions however, he was never particularly prosperous and also painted decorative pictures specifically for commercial galleries and dealers
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The venerable HMS Eagle making ready to sail from her offshore anchorage, probably at the Nore
The venerable HMS Eagle making ready to sail from her offshore anchorage, probably at the Nore
oil on canvas
83 x 122.5cm (32 11/16 x 48 1/4in).
Provenance
Admiral Sir John Peter Lorne Reid GCB CVO (1903-1973), Bolton.
Private collection, UK.
Whilst not a retrospective in the accepted sense, this work depicts an elderly 3rd rate, a vessel seemingly from an earlier age, past her prime and in her twilight years. The overly high stern, in conjunction with the elegant side windows of her stern galleries, are both features more typical of the ships-of-war dating to the reign of Charles II and the navy of Samuel Pepys during his hugely influential tenure as Chief Secretary to the Admiralty. Notwithstanding her outward appearance however, the vessel is clearly flying the new 'Red Ensign' introduced into the fleet after the Act of Union with Scotland in 1707 and which alone confirms her longevity. Almost certainly one of Pepys's celebrated 'Thirty Ship Programme' of 1677, a surprisingly large number of those ships (built between 1678 and 1680) were still in service in 1707, although by then all of them would have been altered, repaired or, in some cases, completely rebuilt to reflect the continual ravages of the sea, battle damage or to incorporate periodic changes in armament. As the largest 'class' within the 1677 Programme, the twenty 3rd rates - of which Eagle was one - have since been described by some naval historians as "the best-looking sailing ships ever completed", but attempting to name a specific vessel within the twenty is complicated by the fact that "the individual ship design was in each case left to the builder."
It is usual to identify these majestic ships by a careful study of their highly ornate stern carvings which usually include either royal ciphers, regal initials, or other similarly characteristic details. Unfortunately, this handsome bow view robs us of those clues although the distinctive side panes of the stern gallery windows shown here are strikingly similar to those featured on the splendid but short-lived Coronation, a large 2nd rate launched at Portsmouth in 1685. It is interesting to speculate therefore that this vessel might also be a Portsmouth-built ship which narrows the field considerably and offers up two possibilities, namely the Eagle and the Expedition. Of the two, the more likely candidate is the Eagle which, having been repaired and reconditioned at Chatham in 1699-1700, then served with distinction during the War of the Spanish Succession, mostly in the Mediterranean, and was part of Sir George Rooke's fleet which famously took Gibraltar in 1704. By 1707, Eagle was in Sir Cloudesley Shovell's squadron in the Mediterranean which, whilst returning home for the winter, was wrecked on the Isles of Scilly on 22nd October that year due to faulty navigation. This error resulted in one of the most spectacular disasters in the long history of the Royal Navy and this painting may well be a memorial to the loss of a fine old ship and all those who perished in her.
Peter Monamy was born in London in 1681, the youngest son of a Guernsey man. Throughout his career he was heavily influenced by the works of Willem van de Velde, the Younger and other North European, Dutch and French masters. Monamy was himself a collector of Van de Velde's drawings and these influenced his development as a maritime painter resulting in numerous commissions from mercantile and naval patrons, including the famous Channel Island's naval families, the Durrels and the Saumarezs.
In 1726, he was elected a Liveryman of the Company of Painter-Stainers, to which he presented a very large painting of the 'Royal Sovereign at anchor' which still remains in their collection. Although his paintings usually depict actual ships, they rarely record specific events as, up until 1739, his career coincided with a long period of peace. From the 1730s until his death, Monamy was at the centre of London's artistic life and was a friend and companion of Hogarth, sometimes collaborating with the celebrated younger artist. Despite his many commissions however, he was never particularly prosperous and also painted decorative pictures specifically for commercial galleries and dealers
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