Our coming Naval Guests: Off Duty on a French Battleship.
DE HAENEN, (F.)
Drawn by... From a Photogrpah by BAR, Toulon. Water-colour en grisaille on heavy card, 14" x 10Ω", caption title tipped to the lower edge. Pencilled date verso, 27/7/05. Very good. [Produced for the Graphic,] 1905
Caption continues, "Nothing appeals to the French sailor so much as a dance. With a shipmate for a partner he is content to pirouette as long as ver he may. It will be noticed that the uniform of the French sailor resembles that of our men, but is cut differently. The trousers lack the width at the foot that distinguishes a British tar, and a button on top of their caps at once proclaims their nationality."
A really splendid image, probably used to emphasise more differences than just in uniform. The French Fleet made a formal visit to Portsmouth in August 1905. De Haenen was French artist and had worked for L'Illustration, also contributing to the ILN. He went to South Africa to cover the Boer War for the Graphic and worked for the magazine until 1910. A portrait of Asquith by de Haenen is held by the NPG.
"Macedonian Encampment" (1903)
