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| Keywords: Dominic Serres - An English man-o'war shortening sail entering Portsmouth harbour.jpg oil panel cm 31 7 45 7 object history with Doig Wilson and Wheatley Edinburgh <br/>Sir Albert Richardson P R A 1951 and thence by descent credit line Vistas of Portsmouth harbour from the open sea showing warships entering or leaving port have been a common theme for generations of British marine artists whereas views from inside the harbour looking out are far rarer In this engaging composition by Dominic Serres he not only displays his usual artistry in the fine portrayal of the arriving man-o'war shortening sail at the harbour mouth but also provides an unaccustomed perspective of Fort Blockhouse as it was in the final quarter of the eighteenth century before the subsequent alterations completed in 1816 radically transformed its appearance <br/><br/>The short spit of land known as 'The Point' on the western side of the harbour entrance was first fortified in 1417 after the French sacked and burned both Portsmouth and Gosport during the Hundred Years' War Improved in 1495 to accommodate five pieces of ordnance cannon in the earliest reference to the King's Blokkehouse there were many other additions and alterations over the next two centuries although these were usually interspersed with long periods of neglect in times of peace Substantially rebuilt between 1708 and 1714 to counter the threat posed by the War of the Spanish Succession a new powder magazine was added in 1748 after which the gun platforms were renewed in 1755 By the time the eighteenth century drew to a close the fort had become as one later commentator remarked a motley collection of buildings of indeterminate age and doubtful architectural interest and indeed once the French Revolutionary Wars began in 1793 yet another decision was taken to transform and modernise it Surviving pictures of its pre-1793 appearance are therefore extremely scarce and this particular view is a pleasing addition to the repertory <ref>http //www christies com/lotfinder/LotDetailsPrintable aspx intObjectID 5127577 Lot Notes by christies</ref> reflist accession number Christie's online 5127577 PD-old-100 Dominic Serres 18th-century sailing ships in paintings Sailing ships of the United Kingdom Ships in Portsmouth Sailing ships of the Royal Navy | ||||
