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Notes
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A royal yacht is shown in starboard-broadside view, hove-to off a harbour believed to be Weymouth, with George III and members of his family on board. It is flying the Royal Standard and the Union flag together with the fouled anchor, thus signifying the presence of the sovereign on board. It also flies the red ensign from the stern. There are several men-of-war to the left, and other shipping can be seen in the bay beyond. In the foreground the artist has shown the edge of a harbour, with several groups of people either waving to the departing yacht or occupied with various tasks. In the distance on the left, the chalk cliffs of Dorset are clearly recognizable. It is not clear which royal visit the painting marks but Weymouth was a favourite watering place for George III.
John Thomas was the son of Dominic Serres, and although he began his career as a landscape painter, he followed the pattern of that of his father and had a similar though distinctive style. He travelled to Paris, Rome and Naples before succeeding his father as Marine Painter to George III in 1793. After becoming Marine Draughtsman to the Admiralty in 1800, he made drawings and elevations of the west coasts of France and Spain in the Mediterranean, publishing many (and British coastal views) in his book 'The Little Sea Torch' (1801). This painting may have been a commission from the King and is signed and dated 1809.
Title
The 'Royal Sovereign', Yacht
Date
1809
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 137 x W 167.5 cm
Accession number
BHC3613
Work type
Painting
National Maritime Museum
Romney Road, Greenwich, London, Greater London SE10 9NF England
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