THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR

The Rock of Gibraltar with Europa Point sitting at its southern extremity (here on the right) is a landmark known not only to generations of mariners who have sailed past or taken shelter in Gibraltar Bay or the Rock’s harbour but also to readers of books who have seen countless paintings and photographs of the “Pillars of Hercules” guarding the western end of the Mediterranean Sea.

Wyllie has shown what looks like the two battle cruisers HMS RENOWN and REPULSE leading a formation out of harbour; and a flotilla of destroyers, either in this formation or hurrying past the big ships as they make their way in through the harbour moles and into the dockyard that the big ships have just left. As always WL’s details are beautifully apparent in this etching: the weather looks none too pleasant and even the big ships are securing their focsles for heavy weather that lies out beyond the Straits…