Overall: 51cm (20in) x 61cm (24in)
Watercolour on paper. HMS Blonde (38-guns) in pursuit of French privateers, inscribed in ink beneath the image ‘HMS Blonde Capn V. V. Ballard in Chase of L'Hirondelle and La Sieur Adella two French Privateers which she captured on the 14th Sept 1807 after a Pursuit of Forty Eight Hours’. Signed lower right G. Webster. Image: 32.5 x 44cm. Contained in period glazed giltwood frame.
A note, almost certainly in artist’s hand, to the reverse of the present watercolour remarks on the accuracy of observed specifics of seamanship that allowed Webster’s works to stand as historical record - ‘The 1st drawing was wrong - at the foot of the gaff top sail the topsail is meant to be to windward of the halyard’. This eye for detail and technical understanding also tells of Webster’s own experience ‘before the mast’.
Read more
HMS Blonde, a 38-gun frigate captured from the French in 1782 and initially named Hebe. Captain Vashon Ballard took command of her in 1806 and departed in a convoy to the West Indies on 7 January 1807. During the year captured seven French privateers including La Dame Villaret and Hortenseiun in August, Hirondelle and Duquesne (a former British warship), in September and Alert in October. At the end of 1809, Blonde was part of a light squadron off Basseterre in the blockade of Guadeloupe. On 18 December 1809, Commodore Samuel James Ballard (no relation of Volant) in Sceptre assumed charge of the squadron. Two French ships were discovered moored in a strong position in Anse-la-Barque. Blonde was deputed to lead the attack and bore the brunt of the action, which left the enemy frigates in flames. A full account of this action, which led to the capture of Guadeloupe, and honourable mentions for Ballard, can be found in ‘The Naval History of Great Britain’. It is probably as a result of Ballard’s actions over this period that the merchants of Barbados presented him with a silver-plated tureen, four corner dishes and silver forks.
The artist George Webster (fl.1797-1832) travelled extensively and painted seascapes of the places he visited. Between 1803 and 1806 Webster visited the west coast of Africa and painted a seascape showing two British slave-ships taking on board locally supplied slaves from Danish-Norwegian Fort Christiansborg. He also published engravings. These included one of Captain James Lawrence USN of the frigate Chesapeake who died while engaged with the British ship Shannon on the first of June 1813. Webster remarked, "This Print is respectfully dedicated to the British Nation whose philanthropy is such as to esteem the Brave and Virtuous even in an Enemy.”
Rear-Admiral Volant Vashon Ballard CB, RN (1774-1832) entered the Royal Navy aged twelve as captain's servant to his uncle James Vashon in Commodore Alan Gardner’s pennant-ship HMS Expedition (44-guns). After four months he moved with his uncle and the commodore to HMS Europa at Jamaica where he met Lieutenant George Vancouver. In February 1791, aged seventeen he was selected to join HMS Discovery during Vancouver’s four-year voyage of exploration to the Pacific coast of North America between, serving in the roles of able seaman, midshipman, and captain’s clerk. On returning to England, he was awarded a lieutenant’s commission on 6 November 1795. On 25 December 1798, while commanding the sloop Hobart, on the East India station, Ballard was promoted to captain and transferred to the 28-gun frigate Carysfort with which he remained until mid-1800. He commanded the 36-gun fifth rate Jason for two months in mid-1801. He then took over command of the 8-gun De Kuyter in December 1801 and sailed her to the West Indies to be based at Antigua from August 1803 to mid-1804. For nearly two years, Ballard's next command was the 50-gun Berschermer before he, in July 1806, recommissioned HMS Blonde.