Aurora

Pen-and-ink sketch with wash of a ship in a storm with lightning flashing in the background. It is inscribed in the top right corner, ‘Aurora’, identifying the ship depicted as HMS ‘Aurora’ (formerly ‘Clorinde’). It appears to date from the period 1826–28, when the ‘Aurora’ was stationed in the Caribbean under the command of Captain (later Rear-Admiral) Charles Austen. This drawing – along with three others also depicting the ‘Aurora’ (ZBB0370 and ZBB0372–3) – came to the Museum with a collection of sketches by naval officer Aiskew Paffard Hollis (see ZBB0352–69 and ZBB0374–84). However, the four ‘Aurora’ drawings are not consistent with Hollis’s style and date from after retirement from active service. It may be that Hollis received these drawings as a gift from his nephew, Lieutenant (later Captain) Joseph Paffard Dickson Larcom (1795–1850), who was serving on the ‘Aurora’ in 1826–28.