Portrait.

A three-quarter-length portrait of Charles Saunders (c. 1713–1775) in flag officer’s full-dress uniform, 1767–87, with the ribbon and star of the Order of the Bath, holding his sword in his right hand and pointing with his left hand to the night attack by French fire-rafts on his fleet at Quebec in 1759, which is represented in the background. Lettered beneath the image with the title, ‘Admiral Sir Charles Saunders, K.B. First Lord of the Admiralty. Painted by Brompton. Bequeathed to Greenwich Hospital by Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser Bart.’ Also lettered with the production details and publication line: ‘Engraved by W. H. Mote. / London. Published Oct. 1 1831 by Harding and Lepard, Pall Mall East.’ This portrait was engraved by William Henry Mote after Richard Brompton’s three-quarter-length portrait of 1772–3 (see BHC3011). The print was published by Harding and Lepard on 1 October 1831 as an illustration for E. H. Locker's 'Memoirs of Celebrated Naval Commanders’, which was issued in parts from 1831 and completed in 1832. Saunders commanded the naval force that co-operated with Wolfe in the capture of Quebec in 1759 and this action is referred to the background of Brompton’s portrait. (Updated May 2019.)