Anton Schranz

Anton Schranz (Ochsenhausen 1769-1839 Malta) A British frigate entering Grand Harbour, Valetta, Malta oil on canvas 14½ x 23 3/8 in. (36.9 x 59.3 cm.) Provenance R.D. Grimm, 1967. Born in Ochsenhausen, Germany in 1769, it is recorded that Schranz arrived in Minorca sometime between 1793-94. Captured by the British in 1798, although returned to Spain under the Treaty of Amiens in 1802, Minorca had become a British naval base. Many of Schranz's patrons were British naval officers and whilst there he concentrated on painting ships of the Royal Navy in the grand environment of the harbour of Port Mahon. However, once the British had captured Malta and developed a naval base there after the Napoleonic Wars, Minorca was phased out. Consequently, in 1817 Schranz moved to Malta where he continued to execute his views of Royal Naval ships lying in Grand Harbour, Valetta. He died there in 1839. His work is represented in the Royal Collection.

HMS Britannia entering the Grand Harbour, Valletta; HMS Britannia at anchor, a pair oil on canvas one 38 x 62cm (15 x 24 7/16in). , the other 35.5 x 57cm (14 x 22 1/2in). (2) Footnote: Provenance: Sir Cornwallis Ricketts, R.N (1803-1885); Thence by direct descent. HMS Britannia was a 120-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy and one of the largest ships of her day, measuring 2,616 tons and carrying a crew of 594 officers and men, 66 boys and 160 marines. Launched in 1820, she saw service in the Mediterranean from 1830-1. During this time, Britannia was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm GCB (1768–1838). Sir Pulteney was commander in chief of the Mediterranean from 1828-1831 and 1833-4 and later went on to become Chairman of the Oriental Club in London. Sir Cornwallis Ricketts, Bt. was Sir Pulteney's flag lieutenant.

Anton Schranz (German, 1769-1839) H.M.S. Britannia coming into Valetta, Malta oil on canvas 14¾ x 24 in. (37.2 x 61 cm.) H.M.S. Britannia , one of the largest ships of her day,was laid down in 1813 and launched in October 1820. A splendidthree-decker of 120 guns, she measured about 2,616 tons and carrieda crew of 594 officers and men, 66 boys and 160 marines. Firstcommissioned in January 1823, she remained in Plymouth for severalyears as one of the harbour's guardships and then did some shortspells of service in the Mediterranean before becoming flagship atPortsmouth in 1836. After further commissions in the Mediterranean,she returned to Portsmouth in 1850 to becomeGuardship-of-the-Ordinary and remained there until 1854 when,following the outbreak of the Crimean War, she was sent to theBlack Sea as flagship to Vice-Admiral Dundas. Action there includedleading the Anglo-French fleet in to bombard Sebastopol on 17thOctober 1854 but, when peace was concluded, she came home toPortsmouth where she was laid up until recommissioned on 1stJanuary 1859 as the first training ship for naval cadets. Heroriginal moorings in Haslar Creek (Portsmouth) and then Portlandproving unsuitable, she was eventually moved to Dartmouth in 1863where she lay until broken up in 1869. By that time however she hadso proved her usefulness that she was replaced by a larger vessel,the much newer Prince of Wales of 1860, which was promptlyre-christened Britannia in order to maintain the name whichhad already become synonymous with training boys for a career atsea.

ANTON SCHRANZ (1769-1839) - A BRITISH EAST INDIAMAN AND OTHER SHIPS ENTERING CORFU HARBOUR -
Mis: 35 by 56cm., 13¾ by 22in.
oil on canvas

PROVENANCE
Sale: Phillips London, 12 December 1995, lot 47

catalogue note british warships and merchant vessels arrived in port mahon, minorca on 19th december 1793, following the abandoned siege of toulon, a failed offensive led by admiral hood. it is likely that anton schranz sailed with the british fleet at this time, butit is certain that he was living on the island of minorca in 1794 since his marriage to elizabeth haward-taduri is recordedfor december 1794. he quickly established a successful practice as a marine painter, and lived on minorca for the next twenty-three years until moving to malta in 1817. the majority of schranz's works depict minorcan landscapes or views of british vessels in the harbour. the europa is listed in colledge's list of naval ships as a transport hired in 1854 and burnt by accident at sea in may the same year. it is possible that this vessel was one of the original vessels which sailed from the abandoned siege of toulon.