‘Falcon’ is depicted in starboard-broadside view, sailing under heavy conditions in the China Seas, and flanked by two local vessels, one astern and one near her bow. She is shown with royal masts and spars fitted but their sails unfurled. The artist, who appears to have misunderstood the ship’s sail plan, has awkwardly attached a red ensign to the gaff of her mizzen. Moreover, compared to other depictions of this vessel in the NMM collection (PAH0670 in particular), her gun arrangement and overall proportions have not been accurately recorded.

The ‘Falcon’ became an opium clipper in 1840 after Jardine Matheson bought her, and here flies the company house flag (white saltire on blue background) from her foretop. The two flags aloft her maintop (blue-white-blue vertical strips; white cross on red background) are harder to identify: they do not apparently belong to either Marryat’s Code (used until 1857) or the Commercial Code that largely superseded it, but given the painting’s other infidelities undue store should not be attached to these details.

A colour image of this item is available on the Art UK website.