The Right Honble Richard Lord Howe. Commander in Chief of his Majesty's fleet, in the Channel

A three-quarter-length portrait of Richard Howe, Earl Howe (1726–1799) in flag officer’s undress uniform, 1767–1783, gloves and a hat, holding his drawn sword in his right hand and pointing with his left hand. He stands on the deck of a ship with a view of naval engagement in the background. The stern of one of the ship’s in the background is inscribed ‘Queen Charlotte’, referring to Howe’s flagship at the Battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794, one of his most famous victories. Lettered beneath the image with the title, ‘The Right Honble. Richard Lord Howe. Commander in Chief of his Majesty’s Fleet, in the Channel.’ Also lettered with the production detail: ‘Corbutt, delint. et fecit.’ This print was drawn and engraved by an artist signing himself ‘Corbutt’ – possibly the Irish engraver Richard Purcell, who sometimes used the pseudonym Charles or Philip Corbutt. The plate was first published by John Morris on 10 November 1777 (see PAF3484). It was subsequently altered to include the name of the ‘Queen Charlotte’ in reference to Howe’s victory at the Battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794 and republished by Richard Holmes Laurie and James Whittle on 11 June 1794, just ten days after the action. The composition of the print may owe something to Francis Cotes’s portrait of Captain Edward Knowles from 1761, now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. (Updated June 2019.)

Object Details

ID: PAF3483
Type: Print
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Purcell, Richard; James Whittle & Richard Holmes Laurie
Date made: 11 Jun 1794
People: Howe, Richard
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Sheet: 349 x 259 mm; Mount: 557 mm x 404 mm
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