I. Tudgay, 19th century

Tudgay’s painting depicts the devastating scene that survivors of the battle of the Nile awoke to on the morning of 2 August 1798. Hours before these same ships had been engaged in a ferocious struggle after Nelson attacked the French battle squadron anchored—apparently in a position of safety—in Aboukir Bay, close to the Egyptian coast. The French fleet was in the eastern Mediterranean to support Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt the success of which gravely threatened British interests in India.

            By boldly leading his squadron through the French line and by risking all by launching his attack inshore of the enemy, where the danger of grounding was very great; Nelson had disarmed the French admiral’s defences and won an astonishing victory.  The British captured seven prizes. Four further French warships were destroyed including the 120-gun L’Orient which exploded at the height of the action with the loss of almost a thousand men.

            As dawn broke, Nelson—who had, himself, suffered a serious head wound during the action—ordered a service of thanksgiving throughout the fleet. The French wounded were landed in Egypt so that they could be cared for by their own surgeons. Later in the day the British captains who had fought and survived the battle—Nelson’s legendary “band of brothers”—met in Orion to inaugurate the so-called “Egyptian Club” (see Lot 65) to perpetuate their triumph and to bind them to their commander.