|
''Captain Lord George Graham in his Cabin'' is a 1745 oil-on-canvas painting by the English artist William Hogarth. A conversational picture, it shows Captain Lord George Graham, of the Royal Navy, in the cabin of his ship with several people. The painting was probably commissioned by Graham to commemorate a naval battle he had fought recently. While commanding a 24-gun sixth rate, he had been one of three British ships to attack a squadron of three powerful French privateers and their prizes. The British were successful in their engagement, capturing all of the prizes, and all but one of the privateers. Lauded for his achievements, Graham was given another, larger, ship to command. The painting is probably set aboard this new command, the 60-gun , and shows Graham relaxing in the great cabin before a meal, smoking a pipe. With him are the ship's chaplain and clerk, who sing and listen to music played by a black servant. A steward brings a roast duck to the table. Two dogs are also present in the scene, one joins in the singing, the other wears a wig and reads a sheet of music. The scene contains elements of satire and symbolism, in common with Hogarth's other works. The relaxed scene contrasts the tension of the naval battle it commemorates, with elements of humour including the officious pose and behaviour of one of the dogs, who apes Graham's official position. The steward looks out of the painting at the viewer with a smile, while obliviously tipping gravy down the chaplain's back. The positioning and depiction of Graham and the black servant invite comparisons, with Hogarth's presentation of black subjects in paintings being studied by later academics. Hogarth drew from his own experience in group portraits, and was probably influenced by an earlier cabin work by Bartolomeo Nazari. Graham's enjoyment of the painting was short-lived, he died in 1747. His family kept the portrait in their collections until 1932, when it was sold to Sir James Caird, who subsequently donated it to the National Maritime Museum, where it remains. ==Background== Lord George Graham was a younger son of James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose, and had entered the Royal Navy at a young age. He served with some distinction during the wars of the early eighteenth century, and also entered politics, sitting as member of parliament through his father's interest. He was appointed to command the 24-gun in 1745 and cruised in the English Channel. While cruising in the Channel off Ostend on 2 July, in company with the 24-gun under Captain William Gordon, and the armed vessel ''Ursula'' under Lieutenant Fergusson, Graham came across three large privateers from Dunkirk, sailing in company with their captured prize vessels.〔 The French privateers were the 28-gun ''Royal'', 26-gun ''Duchesse de Penthierre'', and a 12-gun dogger.〔 They had captured seven prizes, and were taking them into Dunkirk. The British force attacked them early in the morning of 3 July. After a fierce fight lasting until 4.am, four of the prizes surrendered to the ''Sheerness'', the ''Royal'' and ''Duchesse de Penthierre'' struck their colours to the ''Bridgewater'', and the ''Ursula'' captured the remaining three prizes. The dogger managed to escape. For his success in the engagement, Graham was commended to the First Lord of the Admiralty, John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, and was given command of a larger ship, the 60-gun .〔〔 He probably commissioned a portrait from Hogarth at about this time, and the resulting painting is believed to be set aboard Graham's new command, which in late 1745 was on the Downs station.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Captain Lord George Graham in his Cabin」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|