Thomas Luny (British, 1759-1837) The Battle of the Nile, 1st August 1798, a pair showing the action at its height and both depicting H.M.S. Zealous engaging the enemy one signed and dated 'T Luny.1802' (lower right); the other signed and dated 'Luny.1801.' (lower left) oil on canvas each 56.5 x 86.3cm (22 1/4 x 34in). (2) Footnotes: Provenance Private collection, UK. The so-called Battle of the Nile was fought in Aboukir Bay, about 15 miles west of Alexandria, on 1 August 1798. Nelson, having spent most of the summer cruising the Eastern Mediterranean looking for Admiral Brueys' Toulon fleet, finally came upon it as it lay at anchor in Aboukir Bay following the disembarkation of the army with which Napoleon was to conquer Egypt. Brueys had chosen a strong position in a well-protected anchorage although Nelson had the advantage of surprise. More significantly, it was already six o'clock in the evening when Nelson sighted the French and, with only two hours of daylight remaining, Brueys was confident that any attack would have to be postponed until the next day, by which time his own fleet would be ready. Nelson, with typical daring, amazed both his own captains as well as the French by ordering his ships into the Bay where they engaged the enemy in a spirited action which lasted almost through the night. The decisive moment came just after 10 o'clock when the French flagship, the huge 120-gun L'Orient, blew up with a tremendous explosion and, when dawn broke, the French annihilation became apparent with nine of their badly damaged ships captured and another four destroyed. It was a glorious victory for Nelson, one of the greatest in British naval history, and the one which brought him to the pinnacle of his career. It is well-documented that Luny painted numerous versions of the battle of the Nile in the years immediately following it and, given that both of the works offered here depict the exploits of H.M.S. Zealous, it seems very probable they were commissioned by Captain Samuel Hood, his command during the epic engagement. H.M.S. Zealous was a 74-gun third rate built at Deptford and completed for sea in 1785. Despite this, she did not enter service until the War with Revolutionary France began and her first commission, under Captain James Young, was to the Mediterranean as flagship to Admiral Mason. By the time she had joined Nelson's fleet, she was commanded by Captain Samuel Hood and fought with great distinction at the Nile. She then remained in continuous service for the rest of the Napoleonic War until broken up in 1816. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing