William Say after Thomas Phillips.

Sir James Saumerez, Bart K.B. Vice Admiral of the Blue.

16 x 24¼ inches

There is such tremendous swagger to this print, that we are left in no doubt that the sitter is a man of great prowess and unquestionable prestige. James Saumerez (1757-1836) went away to sea at the age of 13 and rose within the ranks to become one of England's foremost sea lords. With a haughty, almost disdainful, pose he stands against a backdrop of turbulent seas and ships at anchor, one hand holding his hat and the other clasped in readiness upon the hilt of his sword. Active throughout the French Revolutionary Wars, his greatest achievement came at the second Battle of Algeciras in 1801 when the British fleet was pitched against the combined forces of Spain and France. The action took place in the Straits of Gibraltar. The stakes were high. Controlling these waters and access to the Mediterranean was crucial to British interests so when Saumerez sent the enemy packing it was a cause for huge celebration.