Breaking Up of the Agamemnon, No. II

Art Historical Context

Francis Seymour Haden's *Breaking Up of the Agamemnon, No. II* (1880) captures a poignant moment in maritime history through the delicate art of etching. This large-scale print (image 26 × 48 cm) depicts the dismantling of HMS Agamemnon, the storied British warship that served as Lord Nelson's flagship during the Napoleonic Wars. Haden, a British surgeon-turned-etcher and key figure in the 19th-century etching revival, produced this as part of a series documenting the ship's scrapping at a Portsmouth dockyard in the 1870s—a vivid record of industrial transformation and the end of an era. Etched on cream wove paper, the work showcases Haden's mastery of the medium, where acid-etched lines on a copper plate create intricate textures of rusting hulls, wooden beams, and hazy skies. Influenced by Rembrandt, Haden's spontaneous, atmospheric style emphasized drypoint burrs for velvety tones, elevating printmaking to fine art. This piece, held in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings collection, highlights etching's role in preserving fleeting scenes with remarkable detail and emotional depth. Visitors will appreciate how Haden blends technical precision with nostalgic reverence, inviting reflection on Britain's naval legacy amid rapid modernization.

About the Artist

Francis Seymour Haden · 1818–1910

Sir Francis Seymour Haden (1818–1910) was a pioneering English etcher and distinguished surgeon whose passion for printmaking elevated him to the forefront of Britain's Etching Revival. Born on 16 September 1818 in Chelsea, London, to physician Charles Thomas Haden, he received a classical education at Derby School and Christ's Hospital before pursuing medicine at University College London and the...