BATTLESHIPS OF THE HOME FLEET SENDING OUT ANCHORS IN BOATS (MP165)

W L Wyllie (1851-1931).  Pencil & watercolour heightened with white and signed (LL)

The battleship in the foreground painted here by WLW would appear to be one of Sir William White’s three battleships completed between 1894-97 as shallower draught, smallish battleships designed primarily for service on foreign stations: BARFLEUR, CENTURION and RENOWN. CENTURION indeed saw plenty of foreign service in China and was commanded in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion by Captain John Jellicoe, later to be C-in-C Grand Fleet 1914-1916. Also in China at this time was her sister BARFLEUR whose commander, Commander David Beatty, was to relieve Jellicoe in 1916! The third ship of the class, RENOWN, completed in 1897, was the newest and fastest of the three. Selected to be a flagship during the 1897 Diamond Jubilee Review of the Fleet RENOWN then deployed to the Caribbean where she became flagship of the Royal Navy’s North America and West Indies station: she hoisted the flag of Vice Admiral Sir John Fisher on 24th August 1897.

Promoted out of this job to be Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet in the rank of full admiral, Fisher took RENOWN with him to the Med where they both remained until early 1902. On return to home waters the battleship was then fitted out to carry Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Connaught on a visit to India some 12 months later. It was perhaps during the next few years when the battleship was back with the Home Fleet and flagship now to a succession of rear admirals, that WLW painted this scene: workmanlike warship grey had by now replaced buff funnels, white superstructure, black hulls and red boot topping, hitherto the livery of HM’s Home and Channel Fleets.

“Sending out anchors” was a much practised evolution, virtually the entire ship’s company being required to turn out: this appears to be a coordinated squadron evolution too so signalmen would also be required to convey the admiral’s requirements to those ships in company. Certainly the upper deck is a hive of activity with busy sailors everywhere, the torpedo booms and their furled nets greatly assisting as footholds! On the back of the painting itself WLW has added in his own distinctive writing: “Anchors are slung under launches and wire hausers [sic] coiled down in separate boats, the whole being towed by cutters”. Some of the boats in the foreground and closest to RENOWN have rear admiral’s badges on their bows - further proof perhaps that we are indeed looking at RENOWN who does seem to have been the perpetual flagship! Further annotation on the back of the painting itself (not in WLW’s hand) indicates that this picture was published in the Graphic on Thursday (?) 1st June 1907

Limited edition worldwide: 12 copies

Standard size:17 x 11.5 ins (43.2 x 29.3) approx. Price band (mounted/matted): £170-195

The original of this painting is available for sale

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