
Philippa Iles
Senior Sale Coordinator



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Senior Sale Coordinator

Senior Cataloguer

Head of Sale
The following footnote was written by the artist and a copy of this accompanies the work.
''The Fleet Messenger HMS Pickle' is an imagined scene around 1800 in the Eastern Solent at Spithead. The armed schooner, Pickle inward to Portsmouth, while the flagship, Victory prepares to anchor in the west breeze.
Spithead was a preferred anchorage to the difficult navigation of the narrow entrance of the harbour, especially to 1st rates such as Victory.
Anchoring a large ship such as Victory involved nearly the whole ships complement. Cables were hauled from the lockers and flaked the length of the gundecks.
Crewmen head aloft to furl and stow sail when the anchors have been laid and set, and the ship rides safely to the wind and tide.
Schooners such as Pickle were usually employed in coastal waters, doing in shore work and carrying despatches.'