Abordage d'un Vaisseau Hollandais par Jean Bart (Jean Bart Boarding a Dutch Vessel), 1843

François Auguste Biard (1799-1882) is an adventurous painter of the 19th century, named as an official marine painter. From the end of the 1830s, he created in particular history paintings, dedicated to famous sailors.
This painting shows privateers boarding. At the center, Captain Jean Bart, in offensive red, at the mast, with the Dutch commanders in front of him. The contrast between warm and cold colors, the enclosed frame, and the angled composition lines accentuate the confusion of the battle.
The depicted scene took place in 1694. Dutch war vessels were seized by some hundred ships, loaded with wheat being transported to France, where famine was rife. Privateer Jean Bart pursued them, until he took possession of the convoy. This armed attack won him acclaim.