BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR painted by Auguste Mayer

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aukepalmhof
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Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR painted by Auguste Mayer

Post by aukepalmhof » Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:19 pm

By the Paraguay stamp issued in 1971 is given that the French REDOUBTABLE is depicted in the Battle of Trafalgar, but according to Wikipedia is wrong. She is the French BUCENTAURE and the vessel on the right is most probably the HMS TEMERAIRE.

Watercraft Philately March-April 1985 page 66:
Paraguay 1971 12.45G gives on the stamp.
The following warships are depicted.

HMS CONQUERUR
Le BUCENTAURE (Fr.)viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17553&p=20915&hilit ... ure#p20915
HMS BRITANNIA
HMS LEVIATHAN

By looking at the history of the ships, the BRITANNIA and LEVIATHAN she both came not in action against the BUCENTAURE and are most probably not depicted in the painting. The HMS TEMERAIRE was in action against the BUCENTAURE.



The actual title of the image is unknown, painted in 1836 by Auguste Mayer, it is suggested that the information about the painting was lost during WWII and it was given incorrect background and title when recovered. The picture is one of six that Mayer painted in 1836 about the struggle and fights of the ship of the line BUCENTAURE during the Battle of Trafalgar (cf. Musée Nationale de la Marine website).
The ship in the foreground on right (firing to the BUCENTAURE is the British 2nd-rate SANDWICH which was not present at Trafalgar, actually being hulked for harbour duty at the time. It is therefore generally held that the SANDWICH is actually the British 2nd-rate TEMERAIRE, incorrectly titled by the artist, and the dismasted ship in the foreground left is the French 74-gun 3rd-rate REDOUTABLE.

Research shows that the French ship in the foreground is actually BUCENTAURE, as the figurehead is that of BUCENTAURE, the ship is a two-decker fitting the description and design of BUCENTAURE, and the men clustered around the mainmast fit with the events aboard the BUCENTAURE during the battle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Traf ... _Mayer.jpg
Paraquay 1971 12.45Gs sg? Scott 1396.
Attachments
Battle of Trafalgar-Auguste_Mayer.jpg
1971 Redoutable Trafalgar-A-Mayer.jpg

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