Skål!

Christian Mølsted, “Paa kanoner og pokaler” (On guns and cups), 1925, Private collection.

The painting depicts the episode 27th july 1714 in which the Danish frigate Lövendals Galley commanded by Danish-Norwegian officer Tordenskjold encountered the Swedish-owned, former English frigate De Olbing Galley on the west coast of Sweden. After a long fight, the Danish ship ran out of gunpowder, and the ships then simply parted after a toast between the two opponents.

Peter Jansen Wessel Tordenskiold at the age of 30 was killed in a duel by Livonian Colonel Jakob Axel Staël von Holstein 12 November 1720. Tordenskiold was armed with a rapier, while von Holstein used a heavy broadsword (of the type “Karolinerverge”, “Karolinska sword”).

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Peter Jansen Wessel Tordenskiold