Thomas Jacques Somerscales (1842-1927)

In the wake of the battles of Iquique and Punta Gruesa, the Peruvian monitor Huascar under Admiral Grau was attacked and taken by the Chilean Almirante Cochrane off Puerto Angamos in October 1879, in what was to be the last action of the naval war between Chile and Peru. 'To the Chileans, the capture or destruction of the Huascar had become as much a matter of national honour as of war, due to her sinking of the Esmerelda ... The Huascar was brought down to Valparaiso after her capture by the Almirante Cochrane, where Somerscales was glad to see her for himself and get his details right for the many pictures he was commissioned to make of the action.' (A. Hurst, Thomas Somerscales, Marine Artist, Brighton, 1988, p.107).