First half 19^th century

Watercolour on paper

17.2 by 24.7 cm.

Inscribed on the reverse: ‘Pharos of Alexandria’

Provenance: from the family of Admiral James Stoddart

This watercolour depicts the Citadel, or Fort, of Qaitbay, the late Mamluk ruler. Established in 1477 AD, it sits on the site of the famous lighthouse of Alexandria at the mouth of the Eastern harbour of Alexandria. It formed one of the most important defensive strongholds in the Mediterranean.

Stoddart was from a family of prominent British naval officers. Joining the Royal Navy at the age of 14, he spent much of his first years based in the Mediterranean, with occasional recalls to Britain. In 1841, he joined HMS Cornwallis as Lieutenant and departed for the East Indies where he saw some action in the first Anglo-Chinese War. On his return, he was given command of the re-commissioned Growler taking her back to the Mediterranean in the summer of 1849 arriving in Alexandria toward the end of the year. On 8^th December, he took some of the seaman from the Growler ashore and had them take part in a donkey race for the entertainment of the European residents of the city. The accounts of the race suggest that the seaman, unused to the riding of donkeys spent much of the time falling from their mounts. This visit to the city may have afforded Stoddart the opportunity to record this image of the citadel.