A painting showing the steam auxiliary 'Blackwall frigate' East Indiaman 'Vernon', 996 tons, broadside in the centre. She is shown on her maiden voyage under sail and steam, passing HM ships 'Edinburgh' and 'Blenheim' as they beat down Channel off Bembridge, Isle of Wight, on 21 September 1839. The painting was subsequently reproduced as an aquatint (see PAJ2634 and PAI6595) with the bow only of a further ship on the extreme right. All the three named ships are flying the Blue Peter, as outward bound, and the 'Vernon' flies the Wigram & Green pre-1843 house flag at the main. There are fishing boats tending buoyed lines in the foreground and a cutter in the distance with Bembridge cliff on the horizon.

The 'Vernon' was built by Richard Green in London in 1838-9 and according to the aquatint inscription her steam paddle engine was of 30 h. p. Her sisters were the 'Earl of Hardwick' which also began life with auxiliary paddles, and the 'Owen Glendower', which was designed with them but converted back to sail only before her first voyage. The paddles of both other ships were unsuccessful and also soon removed.

Registered for the London to Madras run, 'Vernon' was sold in 1863-64 and ended her days as a reformatory ship at Sydney. Her bill of sale is in NMM MS GRN 14.

John Lynn was a London artist who specialized in ship portraits, seascapes, coastal views and landscapes. He often combined ship portraits with 'exotic' coastlines and ethnographic detailing. Another portrait in the Green Collection showing the Indiaman 'Prince of Wales' (BHC3560) is also probably by him. The present painting is signed and dated 1839. Prints of the 'Vernon' also in the NMM collection include PAH9327, PAH9330 and PAI6595.