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Lot Essay
The action, the first engagement of the Colonial War with Spain, took place on 20 November 1739, when Admiral Vernon attacked and captured the harbour of Porto Bello on the Darien coast.
Richard Kingzett in his catalogue of the artist's work, records two pictures of The Capture of Porto Bello: a large composition painted for Admiral Vernon himself (82 x 109in.), and a smaller composition (43 x 79in.) painted for Vernon's brother James (R. Kingzett, 'A catalogue of the works of Samuel Scott', Walpole Society, XLVIII, 1982, pp. 24-6, A and B, the former illustrated pl. 7(a)). Scott's compositions were based on a diagram of the harbour, town and forts of Portobello put together by Captain James Rentone, a merchant seaman familiar with the area, and Captain Phillip Durrell of the Burford (who had both been present at the action), which was published on 27 March 1740. This picture would appear to be another autograph version of the subject. As in the picture painted for Admiral Vernon, it seems that Scott only concerned himself with the shipping in the composition, leaving the topography to another hand. As Kikingzett records Peter Monamy also used the Durrell/Rentone plans for pictures of the subject, one of which, like Scott's picture, was commissioned by the Vernon family.
Richard Kingzett in his catalogue of the artist's work, records two pictures of The Capture of Porto Bello: a large composition painted for Admiral Vernon himself (82 x 109in.), and a smaller composition (43 x 79in.) painted for Vernon's brother James (R. Kingzett, 'A catalogue of the works of Samuel Scott', Walpole Society, XLVIII, 1982, pp. 24-6, A and B, the former illustrated pl. 7(a)). Scott's compositions were based on a diagram of the harbour, town and forts of Portobello put together by Captain James Rentone, a merchant seaman familiar with the area, and Captain Phillip Durrell of the Burford (who had both been present at the action), which was published on 27 March 1740. This picture would appear to be another autograph version of the subject. As in the picture painted for Admiral Vernon, it seems that Scott only concerned himself with the shipping in the composition, leaving the topography to another hand. As Kikingzett records Peter Monamy also used the Durrell/Rentone plans for pictures of the subject, one of which, like Scott's picture, was commissioned by the Vernon family.