TOULON BLOCKADE

 Available as:

• 15" x 25" Limited Edition Print on Paper
• 18" x 30" Limited Edition Print on Canvas
• 21" x 35" Limited Edition Print on Canvas 

 The real Surprise meets Victory...

Geoff Hunt confirmed from Surprise's logbook that this ship, famous in fact and fiction, met up with the great Victory. This took place only two months after the real Surprise had been captured from the French (for whom she had been named l'Unité) when, in June 1796 on her first commission, Captain Miller was ordered to report with Surprise to Admiral Sir John Jervis, then commanding the blockade of Toulon from HMS Victory.

Surprise stayed with the fleet for only a day and a night before being ordered to the Adriatic and so this painting is of the first and possibly unique meeting of two of the greatest names in naval mythology - and has a suitably beautiful and romantic atmosphere.

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Internationally acclaimed maritime artist Geoff Hunt is celebrated for his historically accurate naval paintings and dramatic depictions of age-of-sail warfare. Hunt is best known as the official cover artist for the beloved ‘Aubrey–Maturin’ series by renowned maritime history author Patrick O'Brian, including the iconic novel Master and Commander. His paintings helped define the visual world of these legendary naval adventures, bringing the ships, seas, and battles of the Napoleonic era vividly to life.

Geoff Hunt’s maritime artwork is admired worldwide for its meticulous attention to historical detail, authentic rigging, and powerful sense of movement at sea. As the long-time President of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, Hunt has earned a reputation as one of the foremost painters of historic naval vessels, sailing ships, and British naval history.

Collectors and fans of Patrick O’Brian’s novels will immediately recognize Geoff Hunt’s imagery from the covers of the Aubrey–Maturin series, including Master and Commander, where his paintings capture the drama of Royal Navy frigates, naval engagements, and life at sea during the Napoleonic Wars. His work combines scholarly research with masterful oil painting techniques, making each piece both a work of art and a window into maritime history.

Today, original paintings and fine art prints by Geoff Hunt are highly sought after by maritime art collectors, sailing enthusiasts, naval historians, and fans of Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander series. His artwork celebrates the golden age of sailing ships and preserves the legacy of historic naval warfare through beautifully detailed marine paintings.