Gibraltar relieved by Sir George Rodney, 1780, 1780-1782

Dominic Serres the Elder RA (1719 - 1793)

RA Collection: Art

Dominic Serres, born in the south of France, was brought to England in the 1750s as a prisoner of war. After his release in 1758, he settled in London, establishing a high reputation as a marine painter. A Founder Member of the Royal Academy, Serres was appointed Marine Painter to George III in 1780.

This painting illustrates an episode during the Siege of Gibraltar by the Spanish, when near catastrophe was averted by the timely arrival of the English relief ships under the command of Sir George Rodney in 1780. It is typical of the highly-finished pictures by Serres that were much admired by critics at the time, in which maritime subjects seemed so accurately depicted that 'we even fancy ourselves anchored on the spot'.