GUDIN – MOTTE – Débarquement à l’Isle de Malte, Paris 1826 – SOLD

Description

Napoleon’s landing at Malta on June 9th, 1798 –

A detailed lithograph by GUDIN, Jean – Antoine – THEODORE Baron – GRENIER DE SAINT, – MOTTE, Charles

entitled – Débarquement à l’Isle de Malte, Paris 1826,

measuring 320 x 450 mm.

This lithograph shows Napoleon landing on Malta in 1798 in a long boat as it pulls away from the flagship towards Valletta in the distance. The sea is crowded with troops in small boats. It was probably produced during the time of Louis Napoleon. The island of Malta was an important strategic stronghold in the Mediterranean Sea and Napoleon knew that controlling it would boost France’s naval capacity in the region. He captured the island and held it for only two years before being ousted by the native population with the help of the British. Jean-Antoine-Theodore Gudin came from the Middle-East and arrived in Malta with his son in December 1839 by the Sesostris, and he left for Marseilles on January 6th 1840 by the Tancredi. While performing quarantine he started painting the arrival of Queen Adelaide in Malta two years previously. His lithograph of Napoleon,s landing was copied and lithographed in a reduced size with the title EINNAHME VON MALTA without any imprint. Napoleon came to Malta with his army on the way to Egypt on the 9th June 1798. When the Order capitulated, he landed on the 12th, spent the first night at the Banca Giuratale, in Merchant Street, then took up residence at Palazzo Paisio. In a matter of days, he revolutionized the social fabric of Malta, leaving Major-General Claude-Henri-Belgrand Vaubois (1748-1839) to execute his orders. In November 1800 Sir Ralph Abercromby, commanding a British expedition to Egypt, called at Malta and, like Napoleon, he lodged at Palazzo Parisio until December 20th. Abercomby was the Commander-in-Chief of all the British forces in the Mediterranean. Together with his suite, he arrived in Malta in His Majesty’s ship the Diadem on the 26th November 1800 ans was saluted with 19 guns. About 5pm the whole British fleet got clear of the Harbour and took its course for Egypt. He was wounded on the 21st march 1801 during a battle near Alexandria and died a few days later, on March 28th, on board Admiral Lord Keith’s flagship the Foudroyant. On the 9th of April the frigate Flora arrived in Malta with his remains which were deposited in a vault prepared for them in the bastion of St. John, at Fort St. Elmo, with a Latin inscription on a black marble slab.