French men-of-war are tossed helplessly by huge waves, which are lashed to fury by blasts from the mouths of (left to right) pitt, dundas, grenville, and windham, whose heads emerge from clouds. Fox is the (realistic) figure-head of 'le révolutionaire' (right) which, with broken masts, is about to founder. He receives the full strength of the blasts from pitt and dundas, and looks up despairingly, his head against the tricolour stripes which encircle the mast. Playing-cards float in the water by the ship. On the left 'l'egalité' is wrecked by a blast from grenville, which shatters a flag-staff, with a flag inscribed 'vive. Egalité'. Behind, a vessel disappears in a whirlpool. In the foreground (left) 'the revolutionary jolly boat' is being swamped under the influence of a blast from windham; the occupants throw up their hands despairingly: sheridan, standing in the stern, is still unsubmerged; the others (left to right) are hall the foxite apothecary, [so wright and evans. He has perhaps more resemblance to dr. Towers. ] erskine, in wig and gown, m. A. Taylor, and thelwall, washed overboard, with a paper: 'thelwall's lectures' (see bmsat 8685). [wright and evans put dr. Lawrence's name between that of sheridan and erskine; he is not depicted. ] 20 january 1797
hand-coloured etching and aquatint. Date: 1797. Dimensions: Height: 271 mm; Width: 382 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. Collection: British Museum. End of the Irish invasion; -or- the destruction of the French armada (BM 1851,0901.838)
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