On 19 May 1798, Napoleon sailed from Toulon on his hazardous adventure to Egypt, capturing Malta on the way. On 1 August, Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson sighted Alexandria, with its harbour full of shipping and saw French flags, although none belonged to ships of the line. The French battle fleet was subsequently sighted anchored in Aboukir Bay, 15 miles east of Alexandria, by the British ship 'Zealous', 74 guns. Nelson, in his flagship 'Vanguard', 74 guns, immediately headed there and launched and immediate, late-afternoon attack on the anchored enemy in what subsequently became a devastating night action.

The scene shows the end of the action and is lit by the burning French flagship, 'L' Orient', 120 guns, shortly before she blew up at 10 p.m. She is in the right middle-distance of the picture, and shown in broad port-bow view. Flames are pouring from her waist and middle-deck ports, although the fire has not yet brought down her upper masts and yards. The guns of most of the rest of the ships in the picture are silent because their ports have been closed in anticipation of the explosion which would soon blow 'L'Orient's' hull out of the water. Ahead of 'L'Orient' is the French 'Franklin' almost in port- broadside view with only her foremast standing. Across her bows and raking her, bow-on, is the British 'Leander', 50 guns, and beyond the stern of the 'Franklin' can be seen the stern and spars of the British 'Swiftsure', 74 guns, in starboard-broadside view and also firing into the Frenchman.

Ahead of 'Swiftsure' are more French ships. The dismasted 'Peuple Souverain', 74 guns, in port-quarter view, then the dismasted and captured 'Aquilon', 74 guns, 'Spartiate', 74 guns, 'Conquérant', 74 guns, and 'Guerrier', 74 guns. In the far background between the 'Conquérant' and the 'Spartiate' is the stern of Nelson's 'Vanguard' in starboard-quarter view. The French ships on the left of the picture are partially obscured by the British ships anchored on the viewer's side. On the extreme left, the British 'Audacious', in port-quarter view, masks the French 'Guerrier'. The British 'Goliath', 74 guns, in starboard-bow view does the same for the French 'Spartiate'; the British 'Theseus', 74 guns, in starboard-bow view covers the French 'Aquilon' and the British 'Orion', port-quarter view, the French 'Peuple Souverain'. There is a boat between the last two British ships. In the right foreground is another boat and beyond this, masking the stern of 'L'Orient' and the bows of the 'Tonnant', 80 guns, is the British 'Alexander', 74 guns, in port-bow view. The last two have sailors aloft securing the sails. Of the 13 French ships of the line and four frigates which were at anchor in Aboukir Bay, only two of the ships of the line ('Guillaume Tell' and 'Généreux') escaped with two frigates. Of the rest nine were taken, three burnt and one sunk.

Whitcombe was born in London in about 1752 and painted ship portraits, battle scenes, harbour views and ships in storms. Although his output was vast, little is known about him. He produced a large number of subjects from the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793-1815, and exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1783 and 1824. His depiction of ships implies specific knowledge of life at sea, although he probably spent most of his career in London. Many of his works were engraved and they included 50 plates to James Jenkins's account of 'The Naval Achievements of Great Britain', published in 1817. The painting is signed and dated 'T Whitcombe, 1799' and is one of a pair with BHC0515, which shows the beginning of the action.