Advert Description
The photos do not do this fine oil painting justice...
This is a painting of HMS Tonnant ‘Glow of early evening’
Painted by James Brereton in 1981 and bought by me in 1983 from a gallery in Canterbur, the painting has been with me ever since.
Tonnant had an eventful life. Initially with the French Navy, she was captured by Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson in 1798 at the battle of the Nile. The French Commander was Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars, he refused to strike his colours (he had them nailed to the mizzen mast) even though he had lost both legs and an arm he continued to command from a barrel filled with wheat until he died.
In 1805 Tonnant fought at the battle of Trafalgar and later was the flag ship of Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane during the 1812 war with the United States. Frances Scott Key dinned on the Tonnant after the Battle of Baltimore, Mr Key went on to write the words to ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ after watching the British attack on Baltimore’s Fort McHenry.
Tonnant was broken up in 1821.
A painting of an interesting time in European, American and British history.
I am now retired and we have downsized so there is no rooom for this wonderful painting.
