HM Ships Agamemnon and Victory off Bastia, 4th April 1794 - Commissioned oil on canvas by Geoff Hunt RSMA.

Geoff Hunt wrote about this painting: 

"The British Mediterranean fleet under Vice-Admiral Lord Hood carried out naval and military operations off Corsica during April and May 1794. On the 3rd April Captain Nelson arrived off Bastia in HMS Agamemnon to find the Admiral there with six major warships and a flotilla of gunboats, the latter bombarding shore fortifications. The next day Agamemnon embarked part of the 69th Regiment and sailed as part of a small squadron to land these troops and naval elements north of the town, where Nelson and his men were to be very active over the next weeks.

There is only one moment in this whole operation when Agamemnon and Victory could be seen under sail together and that is when the fleet departed on 7th June - not a very interesting scenario, perhaps. Instead I chose one of the days of action, 4th April. Agamemnon under sail accompanied by gunboats is just about to pass the anchored Victory, the day's bombardment starting in the distance. Even here I have to take some liberty with the time of day, since Agamemnon weighed anchor at about 4.30 am (!). I have therefore advanced time a little to get Agamemnon approaching Victory at dawn, the morning sunlight just touching Agamemnon's uppermost sails."