John Thomas Serres (1759-1825)
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John Thomas Serres (1759-1825)

An English frigate amidst much activity in the Bay of Naples with Vesuvius erupting beyond

Details
John Thomas Serres (1759-1825)
An English frigate amidst much activity in the Bay of Naples with Vesuvius erupting beyond
signed and dated 'Giov.ni T. Serres/1823' (on centre boat)
oil on canvas
32 x 48 in. (81.3 x 122 cm.)
See back cover illustration (detail)
Special notice
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 15% on the buyer's premium

Lot Essay

The Kingdom of Naples occupied the whole of Italy south of the Papal States, as well as Sicily. From 1738 to 1860 it was ruled by a cadet branch of the Spanish Bourbons. Naples was one of the most populous, powerful and enticing capitals in Europe and an essential stop on the Grand Tour, especially after the excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii in the 1730s and 40s. It was a curious mixture of civilisation and savagery, intense religiosity and pagan high spirits.

Naples was a frequent port of call for the Royal Navy during the nineteenth century following the close alliance forged by Lord Nelson during the Napoleonic Wars. It was to Naples that Nelson took his fleet after the battle of the Nile and where he was received in triumph as a saviour from Bonaparte. Many officers of the fleet made friendships there and it was Nelson who subsequently evacuated the Royal Family, together with many of the nobility, to safety in order to escape a French attack in December 1798. When Nelson was able to restore King Ferdinand to his throne the next year, Neapolitan admiration for British seapower was unbounded and the Royal Navy was ever afterwards assured of a warm welcome whenever a ship or squadron anchored in the Bay of Naples.

Serres's view shows an English frigate at anchor in the bay, flying the Blue Peter, indicating that she is 'ready to depart'. The bay is filled with local small craft, one of which is flying the red and white colours of Malta. Behind the frigate, to the left, is Castel dell'Ovo on its promontory, and further to the left Castel Nuovo, a thirteenth century stronghold rebuilt by the Aragonese conquerors of Naples in the mid-fifteenth century. The buildings of the Old City march up towards the star-shaped Castel Sant'Elmo, which crowns the horizon with the dazzling white complex of the Certosa di San Martino. In the distance Vesuvius is seen erupting.

J.T. Serres was born in London in 1759 and was the eldest son of Dominic Serres, the Elder. On his father's death in 1793 he succeeded him in his appointment as Marine Painter to King George III and to H.R.H The Duke of Clarence. In 1800 he became Marine Draughtsman of the Admiralty. His work is represented in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

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