First Fleet artwork collection

View of all eleven ships of the First Fleet anchored in front of the harbour entrance of Rio de Janeiro. The ships, with the flagship HMS Sirius at the centre and several smaller craft, are aligned in the foreground occupying roughly the lower quarter of the composition. All are flying either the red or blue naval ensign, with the Sirius and the Supply additionally flying the Union Jack of Queen Anne, and a variety of pennants. Above them in the mid-distance are the hills and mountains on either side of the harbour entrance, with fortified buildings and islands flying white flags with pink spots in the centre. The hills are coloured grey-green and overlaid with stippled marks, except for the distinctive Sugar Loaf mountain to the left of the entrance which is coloured brown with darker shading. The receding hills in the far distance at the centre of the composition are coloured in pale-grey to pale-blue washes. The sky occupied roughly the top half of the composition, and is coloured with a faint pink stain on the horizon and blue washes towards the top. The drawing is framed with a thick black ink line and a triple-banded border, the central band of which is coloured with a pink wash and contains the title panel at the bottom. The signature and date are located in the inner band at lower right. Most of the outer band appears to have been lost through the drawing having been cropped.