The Battle of the Nile, 1 August 1798: view from near Aboukir Fort

A rough but vigorous pencil sketch of the night-time climax of the battle, at the point the French flagship 'L'Orient' blew up about 10.30 pm. The viewpoint is looking south-east, probably from one of the small islets north-east of the Aboukir fort (see PAH0143), which is shown with its mosque minaret on the right. In the left foreground, drawn up on the shore, a local Egyptian fishing boat is nearby with a few people on board. They are watching the battle. The explosion of 'L'Orient' is indicated by swirling lines and flying fragments above this boat. Exhibited: NMM Pocock exhib. (1975) no.84 as 'The Fort of Aboukir' where the paper is recorded as having part of a Whatman Turkey Mill watermark.

Object Details

ID: PAD8741
Collection: Fine art; Special collections
Type: Drawing
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Pocock, Nicholas
Places: Unlinked place
Events: French Revolutionary Wars: Battle of the Nile, 1798
Date made: 1798?-1808
People: Pocock, Nicholas
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Mount: 151 mm x 245 mm