Lot 37: WILLIAM SAY 1768-1834

PORTRAIT OF SIR SIDNEY SMITH (1764-1840)

Mezzotint printed in colour and finished by hand after Robert Ker Porter, 1802, with margins, some plugged-holes touched in with ink, small tears along lower edge of sheet, thin spots and surface dirt mainly in the lower margin; with Charles Turner, Portrait of Sir Alexander Inglis, Lord Cochrane, mezzotint after G.E.Stroehling, 1809; with Edward Bell, Portrait of Captain George Westcott (1753-1798), mezzotint, 1799; and Maria Cosway, Portrait of Sir Sidney Smith, etching, 1797 (unexamined out of frames)

Quantity: 4

NOTE

Sir Sidney Smith entered the navy in 1777 reaching the rank of Vice-Admiral in 1810. He performed great feats of heroism in his early years, but by the end of his career his reputation was largely believed to be unjustified.
Lord Cochrane was the son of Thomas Cochrane, 8th Earl of Dundonald. He joined the navy at a young age, eventually rising to the rank of Post Captain in 1782. He was appointed as Rear-Admiral of the White in 1805, and fought in the Battle of San Domingo, the second fight against survivors of Trafalgar. He fought in the American War of 1812, and his last naval appointment was as Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth in 1821. He is buried in Pere-Lachaise cemetery.
Captain Westcott rose through the ranks to become Lieutenant with which rank he served on the Victory. He later joined the Impregnable as Flag-Captain. He later travelled to the West Indies on the Majestic which was one of the ships sent to the Mediterranean to join Nelson. In the battle of Abu Qir Bay in 1798 he was shot throught the throat and died. Lord Collingwood wrote of him that he was 'A good officer and a worthy man'.