Warwick A. Andrews, ‘Diligente, Slaver outrunning the Patrol’, 1971
$445.00 AUD
Warwick A. Andrews (1930-2021)
‘Diligente, Slaver outrunning the Patrol 1838’
Oil on board, signed & dated 1971
inscribed to the back “Commenced 16th January 1971 / framed 21/3/71 “,
“Slaver ‘Diligente’ running from patrol ‘HMS Pearl’ 1838”
Good condition with slight signs of age
Warwick Anthony Andrews was born in Sydney in 1930, and grew up to be a saltwater sailing enthusiast. He joined the Australian Navy Reserve, and later moved to Melbourne where he was involved with the Beaumaris Probus Club and the local arts scene. His works are often historical re-creations, using prints or old photos as a source which he ‘brought to life’ with his distinctive techniques in Oil and Watercolour.
The Brig ‘Diligente’ was probably American built, being typical of the ships built in Maryland for the sole purpose of bringing slaves from Africa to the American plantations. They were designed for speed, mounting as much canvas as possible on their small size. This was brutal economics; the horrific conditions they kept the human cargoes in meant the longer the trip took, the more assets were lost. It ran this route for many years; in 1837 it was captured off the coast of Africa, flying a Portuguese flag. Condemned, it was sent to Sierra Leone for auction where an American purchased it – and it once again became a slaver, again under a Portuguese flag. Just over a year later, in April 1838, the ‘Diligente’ was captured by the ‘HMS Pearl’, off the coast of Africa with another cargo…. The scene was captured in detail by an artist onboard, Lieutenant Hawker, and is now in the National Museum of African American History & Culture. That view is slightly elevated, showing the deck full of the miserable cargo; the low perspective of Andrew’s version doesn’t show this aspect.
The ‘Pearl’ was under command of The Rt Hon. Lord Clarence Paget (youngest son of the 1st Marquess of Anglesey). He had received the HMS Pearl in 1834, and after the success of the anti-slavery patrols, moved his way up to become Vice-Admiral by 1865. When he captured the Diligente, he freed 600 slaves.
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