For Sale: Luny's The Wreck of the Dutton
Charles Miller's autumn auction is coming up on the 26th October and one of the highlights is this painting of The Wreck of the East Indiaman Dutton at Plymouth Sound, 26 January 1796 by Thomas Luny. Luny was a prolific English maritime painter born in Cornwall in 1759. He worked in London and France and in 1807 he took up residence in Teignmouth in Devon where he was a neighbour of Sir Edward Pellew, Admiral Lord Exmouth. Towards the end of his life, Pellew commissioned Luny to paint several of his celebrated naval actions including the Droits de L'Homme engagement and the wreck of the Dutton.
The Dutton was carrying troops bound for the East Indies when she dragged her anchors in a storm off Plymouth Sound and was driven ashore below the Citadel. Miller's catalogue entry goes on to say:
Pellew then stationed at Plymouth was driving to dinner when he passed the catastrophe unfolding below. Springing from his carriage he promptly boarded the stricken vessel when all her officers had deserted her. By his presence and authority and the skilful use of a rope stretched betwixt ship and shore Pellew and a group of unnamed boatmen saved the lives of everyone aboard a feat which earned him not only his baronetcy but also a degree of national fame.
Not quite.... One of the "unnamed boatmen" was Jeremiah Coghlan, mate of the Dutton, who showed such bravery that night that Pellew offerred him a position as midshipman on the Indefatigable. Coghlan went on to have a distinguished naval career and rose to the rank of captain. Other officers who assisted in the rescue were Pellowe and Thomson of the Indefatigable, Edsell, signal midshipman of the port Admiral and Hemmings, master attendant of the dockyard.
The painting is estimated to fetch £8000 - £10,000 which is actually pretty reasonable for a Luny. The catalogue entry is a little ambiguous as to it's provenance which possibly accounts for a lower price than might be expected.
The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich has a slighter larger version of this picture catalogue number BHC 3298 which depicts more of the citadel on the left side and has a cutter passing off Dutton s bows and is signed and dated 1821. An old typed note pinned to the back of this example states it is signed for 1835.
You can read the rest of the catalogue entry here.
nodbear and I are both big fans of Mr Luny so I think we may have to lock away our bank cards when she comes up to visit next week ;)
The Dutton was carrying troops bound for the East Indies when she dragged her anchors in a storm off Plymouth Sound and was driven ashore below the Citadel. Miller's catalogue entry goes on to say:
Pellew then stationed at Plymouth was driving to dinner when he passed the catastrophe unfolding below. Springing from his carriage he promptly boarded the stricken vessel when all her officers had deserted her. By his presence and authority and the skilful use of a rope stretched betwixt ship and shore Pellew and a group of unnamed boatmen saved the lives of everyone aboard a feat which earned him not only his baronetcy but also a degree of national fame.
Not quite.... One of the "unnamed boatmen" was Jeremiah Coghlan, mate of the Dutton, who showed such bravery that night that Pellew offerred him a position as midshipman on the Indefatigable. Coghlan went on to have a distinguished naval career and rose to the rank of captain. Other officers who assisted in the rescue were Pellowe and Thomson of the Indefatigable, Edsell, signal midshipman of the port Admiral and Hemmings, master attendant of the dockyard.
The painting is estimated to fetch £8000 - £10,000 which is actually pretty reasonable for a Luny. The catalogue entry is a little ambiguous as to it's provenance which possibly accounts for a lower price than might be expected.
The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich has a slighter larger version of this picture catalogue number BHC 3298 which depicts more of the citadel on the left side and has a cutter passing off Dutton s bows and is signed and dated 1821. An old typed note pinned to the back of this example states it is signed for 1835.
You can read the rest of the catalogue entry here.
nodbear and I are both big fans of Mr Luny so I think we may have to lock away our bank cards when she comes up to visit next week ;)