A British naval squadron off the coast of Gibraltar

Dominic Serres, born in the south of France, was brought to England in the 1750s as a prisoner of war. After his release in 1758, he settled in London, where he is thought to have studied under respected marine painter Charles Brooking, and established his own reputation in the genre with much success. He demonstrated his talents for painting naval battle scenes during the Seven Years War and the War of American Independence, and was a Founder Member of the Royal Academy, before being appointed Marine Painter to King George III in 1780. Serres painted the British fleet at Gibraltar on several occasions, including the much-admired Gibraltar relieved by Sir George Rodney, 1780 (Royal Academy, London).