The Royal Caroline with an English Man-of-War in the Channel with other Ships and Fishing Boats

Charles Brooking has been called ‘the finest of English specialist marine painters’ (B. Taylor, Charles Brooking 1723-1759, London, 1966, p. 5). Born in Deptford, South London, he grew up in close proximity to the Royal Navy dockyards on the Thames. This, together with the teachings of his father, a painter and decorator working at Greenwich Hospital, may have inspired his later activity as a marine artist. Influenced by Willem van de Velde II (1633-1707), Brooking’s work stands out for his expressive treatment of light, atmosphere and water, the effects of wind on the sea and vessels, and the influence on his followers.

The present painting depicts, to the left of a man-of-war with a group of other ships, the ship-rigged royal yacht HMY Royal Caroline, seen from the starboard side, bearing the Red Ensign and a red commissioning pennant. Built in 1749 in Deptford, Brooking’s birthplace, it was commissioned to be used as the primary royal yacht. It was the ship chosen to transport Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, later Queen Charlotte, to England for her marriage with George III, and was renamed HMY Royal Charlotte in honour of the event. In use during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, the ship was dismantled in 1820 after over 70 years of service.

Brooking’s accurate depiction of ships must have been informed by his visits to the dockyards while growing up, which resulted in an accomplished comprehension of vessel construction. He may have witnessed the HMY Royal Caroline being built outside of the water in the Deptford naval yards, which would have given him a good understanding of the royal yacht's design, demonstrated in this painting.