From the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century, nationalism in Britain drew citizens closer together to stand against the rising Napoleon regime. When Napoleon rose to power, the threat of annihilation forced British nationalism and, in turn, the mobilization of citizens into the military (Rothenberg 792). Napoleon had the mission to take over Europe and make France the centerpiece country. Martyn Thompson of the Journal of the History of Ideas quotes Napoleon in 1805 as saying, “There is not enough sameness among the nations of Europe. European society needs a regeneration. There must be a superior power which dominates all the other powers, with enough authority to force them to live in harmony with one another-and
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As such, paintings like these were oftentimes hung in museums and displayed publicly to improve Britain’s cultural identity and sense of nationalism (Hoock 568-569, 590-591). It can be argued that people saw paintings displaying decisive naval victories and then proceeded to further support the British government. According to N.A.M. Rodger, naval expenditures rose throughout the Napoleonic Wars (Roger 644-645). As such, it was vitally important for the British government to keep the citizens content with the Royal Navy, or else the government may have dealt with legitimacy issues, putting the operation at risk. This research paper will argue that through the portrayal of decisive naval battle victories in art and the marked overvaluing of these paintings to the point of propagandizing such works, a greater sense of nationalism was achieved. Such nationalism acted as a catalyst for British citizens to come together and, through their support and approval, provided a sense legitimacy for the government and Royal Navy during the Napoleonic …show more content…
According to Eleanor Hughes of Spreading Canvas: Eighteenth-Century British Marine Painting, there are many parts of this painting worth exploring. In the background, there are three ships battling each other: The British Queen Charlotte, the French La Montagne, and the French Jacobin. The Queen Charlotte can be seen breaking into the French line. To the right of the painting was an event that occurred eight hours after the battle between the ships in the background; the event was the Le Vengeur French ship sinking. Hughes finds the most interesting part of the painting to be the difference between the British and French sailors. She found the British sailors to be organized and orderly, while the French sailors were depicted as being unhappy and forced into action. Finally, Hughes discusses the event in the foreground which occurred at a point late in the battle: how the English were saving the drowning French, a sign of mercy (Hughes 262-263). While the battle was decisively won by the British, as this painting depicts, pointed suggestions toward nationalism come out on many fronts throughout this
As such, paintings like these were oftentimes hung in museums and displayed publicly to improve Britain’s cultural identity and sense of nationalism (Hoock 568-569, 590-591). It can be argued that people saw paintings displaying decisive naval victories and then proceeded to further support the British government. According to N.A.M. Rodger, naval expenditures rose throughout the Napoleonic Wars (Roger 644-645). As such, it was vitally important for the British government to keep the citizens content with the Royal Navy, or else the government may have dealt with legitimacy issues, putting the operation at risk. This research paper will argue that through the portrayal of decisive naval battle victories in art and the marked overvaluing of these paintings to the point of propagandizing such works, a greater sense of nationalism was achieved. Such nationalism acted as a catalyst for British citizens to come together and, through their support and approval, provided a sense legitimacy for the government and Royal Navy during the Napoleonic …show more content…
According to Eleanor Hughes of Spreading Canvas: Eighteenth-Century British Marine Painting, there are many parts of this painting worth exploring. In the background, there are three ships battling each other: The British Queen Charlotte, the French La Montagne, and the French Jacobin. The Queen Charlotte can be seen breaking into the French line. To the right of the painting was an event that occurred eight hours after the battle between the ships in the background; the event was the Le Vengeur French ship sinking. Hughes finds the most interesting part of the painting to be the difference between the British and French sailors. She found the British sailors to be organized and orderly, while the French sailors were depicted as being unhappy and forced into action. Finally, Hughes discusses the event in the foreground which occurred at a point late in the battle: how the English were saving the drowning French, a sign of mercy (Hughes 262-263). While the battle was decisively won by the British, as this painting depicts, pointed suggestions toward nationalism come out on many fronts throughout this