Location

Country: USA
City: Washington DC
Place: British Embassy

Robert Smirke was born in Wigton, Carlisle. He was brought to London by his father in 1766 and apprenticed to a coach painter named Bromley. He entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1772 and exhibited at the Academy from 1786 to 1800, in 1805 and in 1815. He became an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1791 and a full Royal Academician two years later. Smirke specialised in unusually small scale scenes from literary or theatrical subjects, and his works are often humorous. His radical and revolutionary opinions led George III to bar his appointment as Keeper of the Royal Academy in 1804. The artist died at the age of 92 at his home in Osnaburgh Terrace, near Regent's Park, London.

People

Howe, Richard, Earl HoweGraves, Thomas, 1st Baron GravesBowyer, Sir George, 5th BaronetGardner, Alan, 1st Baron GardnerCaldwell, Sir BenjaminHood, Alexander, Viscount BridportPasley, Sir Thomas, 1st BaronetMontagu, JamesPigot, HughMackenzie, ThomasPringle, ThomasCurtis, Sir Roger, 1st BaronetHarvey, Sir HenryParker, Sir William, 1st BaronetHarvey, JohnMolloy, AnthonyBazeley, JohnGambier, James, Baron GambierSeymour, Lord HughCotton, Sir Charles, 5th BaronetPakenham, Sir ThomasCollingwood, Cuthbert, Baron CollingwoodDouglas, Sir Andrew SnapeDuckworth, Sir John Thomas, 1st BaronetPayne, John WillettBerkeley, Sir George CranfieldBertie, Sir Albemarle, BaronetDomett, Sir WilliamHutt, JohnNicholls, Sir HenryWestcott, George BlagdenSchomberg, IsaacElphinstone, George Keith, Viscount KeithHope, Sir William Johnstone

Places

Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic

Subjects

allegory & symbolism, group portrait, seascape/coastal scene, tree, smoke, sea, naval officer, winged victory, Britannia, French Revolutionary War, Third Battle of Ushant, The Glorious First of June, ship

Materials & Techniques

engraving

Artist

Francesco Bartolozzi (1727 - 1815)
Thomas Ryder (1746 - 1810)
James Stow
Robert Smirke (1753 - 1845)

Title

Commemoration of Victory of 1 June 1794 [“The Glorious First of June”; Third Battle of Ushant]

Date

published 1804

Medium

Engraving

Acquisition

Purchased from Colnaghi, June 1952

GAC number

1713