Auguste Ballin Etching Portsmouth Queen C. 19th Century., Framed

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Portsmouth (Magasin a charbon de la flotte Anglaise), Queen'
This etching, executed by the French artist Auguste Ballin, depicts the … Read more Portsmouth (Magasin a charbon de la flotte Anglaise), Queen'
This etching, executed by the French artist Auguste Ballin, depicts the Royal Navy ship 'Queen' in use as a coal hulk in Portsmouth harbour. Platforms are along her sides, as are several small vessels, and many men are on the hull and deck.

She has no upper masts or rigging but instead the mast positions have been converted to hold double-beamed derricks. The chimney over the stern may be from a stove in the accomodation area of the ship or possibly for a small steam donkey-engine used with the derricks for moving coal in and out.The low vessel alongside is a mooring lighter, with a heavy-lift derrick at the bow.

The rigged ship immediately ahead appears to be the 'Victory' - the port flag and guardship for much of the later 19th-century - with other storage hulks ahead of her. Dated by the artist as 1877, the picture must show an earlier scene as the 'Queen' - originally a 110-gun three-decker launched in 1839 - paid off at Portsmouth in 1863 and was broken up at Charlton, on the Thames, in 1871.

Auguste Ballin was a French artist who made significant contributions to the Impressionist movement. He was known for his ability to capture the beauty of nature through his paintings, which were characterized by a light and dreamy atmosphere. See less