Thomas Luny

(1759 - 1837)

The Battle of Doggerbank

Oil on canvas

23 3/4 x 34 inches

Signed and dated 1834

PROVENANCE

NOTES

The battle of Dogger Bank in 1781 occurred during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (1780-1784) which pitted the Dutch Republic against Great Britain. The war was ostensibly about the Dutch Republic’s support for the revolutionaries who were fighting to oust the British from the newly proclaimed United States of America. At the time of the naval battle, the U. S. Ambassador to the Dutch Republic was John Adams, who succeeded in opening diplomatic relations between the two nations, thus making Holland the second European country to recognize the United States’ sovereignty. (France was the first.)

As part of their support for the American war effort, the Dutch Republic had been shipping supplies to the new nation, both from Holland and on behalf of France. To prevent this from continuing, Great Britain declared war on the Dutch Republic in December 1780 and began blockading the Dutch coast in an attempt to intercept any shipments to North America. The blockade also had the effect of preventing international trade, thus striking a severe blow against the economically crucial Dutch shipping industry. As a result, both the Dutch and the British began protecting their merchant ships with armed convoys of naval vessels.

By the beginning of August, 1781, tension in the Dutch Republic was high as merchant vessels were unable to safely navigate through the North Sea as long as the British Royal Navy maintained the blockade. To overcome this obstacle, the Dutch government decided to send seven ships and several frigates to protect approximately 70 merchant ships sailing from Texel, Holland. All went smoothly until the morning of August 5th when Admiral Hyde Parker of the Royal Navy saw the Dutch sails on the horizon, and immediately gave chase. The Dutch admiral, Johan Zoutman, responded with orders that the Navy ships form a line between the British fleet and the Dutch merchant ships, thus protecting he traders from direct attack.

The battle began early in the morning as Parker’s fleet closed in on the Dutch ships near the sandbar island of Dogger Bank in the North Sea. Both admirals raised their battle flags at approximately 8:00am, and the Dutch opened fire. For three hours, the two fleets fought at close range until the Dutch merchant ships straggled back to port in Texel, Holland. At that point, Admiral Parker re-formed the British line and sailed back to the English coast. Both sides took significant losses; 104 British killed and 142 Dutch killed with approximately 740 wounded between the two sides.

The outcome of the battle was essentially a draw. The Dutch claimed victory, but their shipping trade remained in constant jeopardy for the duration of the war. The British admiral Parker resigned his command after the battle, stating that his ships had not been adequately outfitted for such a close fight.

BIOGRAPHY - Thomas Luny (1759 - 1837)

Thomas Luny was born in London in 1759 and received his formal training under the watchful eyes of Francis Holman. Luny’s first exhibited work was in 1777 at the Society of Artists and his address was given as “at Mr. Holman’s, Johnson St., St. Georges” and it appears that he continued to work with Holman until the early 1780’s. His style of painting is very close to that of his master, this similarity may indicate that Luny assisted Holman on a number of works that were produced during this period.

Luny was living on his own by 1780 as his address was given in the Royal Academy exhibition of that year as Anchor and Hope Street, St. George’s, Middlesex; this was also the year he exhibited his first work there. However, the fact that he was still living near Holman leads one to believe that they were still in close contact. In 1780, Holman exhibited his The Engagement between Sir G.B. Rodney and the Spanish Squadron at the Royal Academy – a work that Luny would have been very familiar with. Only 2 years later, 1782, Luny produced his own version of this scene and chose to exhibit it at the Royal Academy.

By 1782 Luny had moved to 42, Ratcliff Highway and was now truly on his own and over the next 10 years exhibited approximately 22 works at the Royal Academy. All of the works shown were maritime subjects and included such scenes as: View of the Thames, with the yacht and boats of a private family (RA 1782); Lord Rodney, in the Formidable, at 14 minutes past 9 a.m., leading the center division of the British fleet through the French line, April 12, 1782 (RA 1783); Dock Yard (RA 1785); Whitby from the Sea (RA 1787); Ships Sailing out of the Downs (RA1787); View in the Channel (RA 1791) and A View of Swan Cliff and Dunnose, with an Indiaman Sailing in a Wind (RA 1793).

In 1793, at the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars, it is said that he joined the Royal Navy as a purser and served under Captain George Tobin, R.N. This assumption is supported by the fact that he ceased exhibiting his works that same year. It is generally believed that Luny retired from the Navy in 1810 due to rheumatoid arthritis and settled in Teignmouth around the same time. He also maintained a studio London - evidenced by the fact that the Royal Academy exhibition book of 1837 gives two addresses for him; one in Teignmouth and one in London.

Like many artists of the period, Luny kept an account book in which listed the title, price and purchaser for each work. It is interesting to note that in 1807 there are a couple of entries of views in Teignmouth; so he may in fact have retired from the Navy a little earlier than previously thought. His illness, which was quite serious, had not only confined him to a wheelchair, but also caused him to lose the use of his hands. In order to paint, he had to either hold the brush between his wrists or have them strapped to on.

Even with this serious disability his production was impressive. Between 1807 and his death in 1837 his account book lists some 2,200 works; adding in the works painted before 1807, he must have produced more than 3,000 paintings in his lifetime. In 1837 he exhibited 3 works at the Royal Academy: Crookhaven, Ireland; the Vixen Sloop of War Warping out of Harbour; View on the Coast of Devon – Clouds Dispersing; and Cawsand Bay, Plymouth – Morning Mist.