Artwork
Council of War on board the 'Queen Charlotte', commanded by Lord Exmouth, prior to the Bombardment of Algiers, 26 August 1816
Council of War on board the 'Queen Charlotte', commanded by Lord Exmouth, prior to the Bombardment of Algiers, 26 August 1816 is an oil painting by Nicolaas Baur. It dates from 1818 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a work of history painting within the marine art genre, the subject focuses on the strategic deliberations of naval leadership rather than the battle itself.
The painting depicts a specific historical moment: the Council of War held aboard HMS 'Queen Charlotte' under the command of Lord Exmouth. This gathering took place on 26 August 1816, immediately preceding the Bombardment of Algiers. As a work of history painting within the marine art genre, the subject focuses on the strategic deliberations of naval leadership rather than the battle itself.
The iconography centers on the officers and the ship's environment, symbolizing the organized military response and diplomatic resolve of the British fleet against the Barbary states. The scene represents the critical planning phase that led to the significant naval engagement, capturing the gravity of the command decision prior to the conflict.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on wooden panel, reflecting early 19th-century marine history painting conventions. Its formal composition captures a council of war aboard the Queen Charlotte, commanded by Lord Exmouth, moments before the 1816 Bombardment of Algiers. The stylistic handling emphasizes dramatic narrative and precise rendering of naval detail, characteristic of Baur’s approach to historical subjects.
History & Provenance
Nicolaas Baur created this oil painting on panel in 1818, two years after the depicted council of war took place aboard the HMS Queen Charlotte. The work captures the strategic meeting led by Lord Exmouth preceding the Bombardment of Algiers on August 26, 1816. Regarding its ownership history, the painting has been held in the collections of the Mauritshuis and Villa Welgelegen. It is currently part of the holdings of the Rijksmuseum.
The painting is part of the Rijksmuseum collection and is also held by the Mauritshuis and Villa Welgelegen. Its accession identifiers are not specified in the provided sources. The work has been exhibited as part of maritime art displays at these institutions, reflecting its significance within the marine art genre.
The artwork was created in 1818 and is cataloged under the marine art genre. It is executed in oil paint on panel, measuring 55 cm in height and 76 cm in width.
Context
Nicolaas Baur painted Council of War on board the 'Queen Charlotte', commanded by Lord Exmouth, prior to the Bombardment of Algiers, 26 August 1816 in 1818 as an oil painting on panel, classifying it within the history painting genre and maritime tradition. The work appears in the collections of the Rijksmuseum, Mauritshuis, and Villa Welgelegen, reflecting its institutional significance across European holdings. Contemporary scholarship situates the canvas at the intersection of naval iconography and early nineteenth-century British imperial expansion, linking Baur’s output to broader Romantic-era engagements with maritime power and diplomatic crisis.
Its presence in multiple museum inventories underscores enduring scholarly interest in Baur’s role in marine art historiography and his contribution to visual narratives of naval strategy.
Overview
Nicolaas Baur’s 1818 oil painting records a naval council convened aboard the flagship Queen Charlotte under Lord Exmouth’s command, just before the British fleet’s assault on Algiers on 26 August 1816. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies early‑nineteenth‑century historical genre painting.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Women’s Skating Competition on the Stadsgracht in Leeuwarden, 21 January 1809
The Anglo-Dutch Fleet in the Bay of Algiers Backing up the Ultimatum to Release the Christian Slaves, 26 August 1816
The Anglo-Dutch Fleet under Lord Exmouth and Vice Admiral Jonkheer Theodorus Frederik van Capellen putting out the Algerian Strongholds, 27 August 1816
The fire on the Wharves of Algiers, shortly after the commencement of the Bombardment by the Anglo-Dutch Fleet, 27 August 1816- Council of War on board the 'Queen Charlotte', commanded by Lord Exmouth, prior to the Bombardment of Algiers, 26 August 1816
The Anglo-Dutch Fleet under Lord Exmouth and Vice Admiral Jonkheer Theodorus Frederik van Capellen putting out the Algerian Strongholds, 27 August 1816
