Inscribed: “To Sir Charles Middleton Baronet Comptroller of His Majesty’s Navy. This Plate of the Memorable Victory over the French Commanded by the Compte De Grasse in the West Indies April 12th 1782, By Sir George Bridges Rodney. Commander in Chief of the British Fleet is most Respectfully inscribed by His most Obedient Humble Servant N. Pocock” either side of a shield bearing arms (unidentified, but perhaps Middleton’s: a lion rampant sinister, three urns (?) dexter) and (in smaller type, bottom left): “The point of view from the Windward. The Commander in Chief in the Formidable leading [illegible] through the Enemy’s line of Battle”

Rodney’s flagship, ‘Formidable’, is shown in the centre left foreground, followed by another British ship of the line to left, with the French van stretching away diagonally to the horizon at extreme left. The right half of the picture contains a further seven engaged ships of either nation depicted in various positions.

Pocock exhibited three works at the Royal Academy in 1783, one of this subject captioned “The engagement between the English fleet and that of France, April 12, 1782, at the moment when the Formidable, having penetrated the enemy’s line near the centre, appears to windward of it, followed by the Namur, etc., the enemy’s centre and rear in great confusion, and part of the van of the British fleet appearing to leeward, passing close along the enemy’s line”.

An oil identical to this print, firmly ascribed to Pocock and dated 1783, is at Merchant’s Hall in Bristol (accession no. 34.241).