The Peral Submarine in One of the Waterways of the La Carraca Dockyard

The picture shows a view of the La Carraca Dockyard, used as a site for building and maintaining ships, as well as for building, repairing, storing, and distributing weapons and ammunition.

Located in San Fernando (Cádiz), the dockyard was built in 1752 during the reign of Ferdinand VI, as part of the program of reforms introduced by the Bourbons to improve the Spanish Navy. The main docks were built during the 1780s and it was from here that several frigates and corvettes were launched. These included the famous vessels"Descubierta"and"Atrevida,"which took part in the Malaspina Expedition, and thePeral Submarine, which was launched in 1888 and can be seen here in the foreground.

The work is signed by a ''B. Lleonart.'' This may refer to Benito Lleonart, a Valencian painter who was one of a group of artists in the late 19th century who mainly painted seascapes. The group included Rafael Monleón and Pedro Ferrer, among others.