The Capture of the El Gamo

The Capture of the El Gamo is an 1845 oil painting by English painter Clarkson Frederick Stanfield.^[1] Combining seascape and history painting, it depicts the single-ship action on 6 May 1801 between the brig sloop HMS Speedy of the British Royal Navy and the frigate El Gamo of the Spanish Navy fought in the Mediterranean Sea off Barcelona during the French Revolutionary War.^[2] Despite being much smaller in size, crew and firepower, the British vessel forced the surrender of El Gamo. It boosted the reputation of Speedy's young commander Lord Cochrane.

The Capture of the El Gamo
Artist	Clarkson Stanfield
Year	1845
Medium	Oil on canvas, marine painting
Dimensions	132.1 cm × 183.9 cm (52.0 in × 72.4 in)
Location	Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Stanfield was himself a former sailor who produced paintings of seascapes and Naples scenes including The Battle of Trafalgar. The work was commissioned by Commander Charles Spencer Ricketts, who had served in the action, and was displayed at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition of 1845 at the National Gallery.^[3] Today the painting is in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, having been acquired in 1901.^[4]