Attributed to Nicholas Pocock (British, 1740-1821) The wreck of the Magnificent watercolour 45.4 x 67cm (17 7/8 x 26 3/8in). Footnotes: HMS Magnificent was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was built by Adam Hayes and launched on 20th September 1766 at Deptford Dockyard. During a long and distinguished career, she served in the American War of Independence, participating in the Battle of Grenada (1779), the Battle of Martinique (1780) and the decisive Battle of the Saintes (1782). She later served in the Napoleonic Wars, much of this period being spent on blockade duty off the French coast. On 25th March 1804, while attached to the fleet blockading Brest under the command of Captain William Henry Ricketts-Jervis, Magnificent struck an uncharted reef near the Black Rocks at the entrance to the harbour and was wrecked. Although the majority of her crew were rescued by boats from the accompanying squadron, one crowded launch carrying 86 men was driven ashore on the French coast, where its occupants were taken prisoner. The loss of Magnificent brought to an end nearly four decades of active service during one of the most turbulent periods in British naval history. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing