Beschreibung:

ENGLISH SCHOOL, EARLY 19TH CENTURY Ships of the Austrian Navy at Portsmouth Harbour celebrating the defeat of Napoleon, 1815 Oil on canvas, 55.5 x 75cm The visit of the Allied Sovereigns to England in June 1814 was arranged to celebrate the Treaty of Paris which led to the defeat and abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte. After the armistice was signed between the French and the Sixth Coalition army on April 23 1814, a period of negotiations followed in an attempt to restore peace in Europe. The Coalition Allies were comprised of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and a number of German states. The Austrian-Hungarian Navy, whose fleet appear in this present work, was active between the years of 1786-1918 and they had helped secure the domain of the sea during the Napoleonic Wars. A Grand Review of the British Navy took place at Portsmouth on June 24-25th, 1814 in the presence of the Prince Regent and his royal visitors which included the Tsar Alexander of Russia, King Frederick William III of Prussia and Prince Metternich, Chancellor of the Austrian Empire . Naval reviews had been in existence since the fifteenth century, usually organised when the fleet was mobilised for war or as an act of strength to thwart foreign enemies. However, since the nineteenth century, they were often held for coronations or royal jubilees to a host of distinguished delegates from other foreign navies.