The Anglo-Dutch Fleet under Lord Exmouth and Vice Admiral Jonkheer Theodorus Frederik van Capellen putting out the Algerian Strongholds
By Nicolaas Baur, 1818
This dramatic painting captures a pivotal moment in 1816 when a combined British and Dutch naval force bombarded Algiers to end the North African practice of enslaving European Christians. The Anglo-Dutch fleet unleashed a devastating nine-hour assault on the city's fortifications, with ships ablaze and billowing smoke filling the sky. Dutch artist Nicolaas Baur painted this scene with all the theatrical intensity of 19th-century maritime art, emphasizing the scale and violence of the naval engagement.
The painting showcases the era's wooden warships in their full, formidable glory, with their towering masts and multiple gun decks silhouetted against a chaos of fire and smoke. The golden light breaking through the dark clouds creates an almost apocalyptic atmosphere, suggesting both the destructiveness of the battle and perhaps a sense of righteous triumph. The expedition, led by British Lord Exmouth and Dutch Vice Admiral van Capellen, successfully freed over 3,000 enslaved people and marked one of the last major actions against the Barbary pirates who had terrorized Mediterranean shipping for centuries.
