Early 19th century French school The Surrender of Mustapha Pasha at Aboukir Canvas 56 x 54 cm The land battle of Aboukir took place on 25 July 1799. The French army commanded by General Jean-Baptiste Kléber faced the offensive of the Ottoman troops, led by Mustapha Pacha, who were trying to regain control of Egypt after Napoleon Bonaparte's expedition. Despite their inferiority, the French forces managed to mount an effective defence and repel the attackers, eventually achieving victory. This battle was the subject of two famous paintings by Antoine-Jean Gros and Louis-Antoine Lejeune (both at the Château de Versailles), showing the fort in the harbour of Aboukir in the background, as in our painting. In our painting, Mustapha Pasha, captured by French forces, is shown on the left wearing a turban and ermine coat, surrounded by Egyptian and Turkish soldiers begging for mercy, facing General Murat's tent. General Murat had cut off two of his fingers (or three, depending on the source) during his arrest. This detail explains the bandage around the prisoner's hand. Our painting is part of the depiction of contemporary historical events, influenced by the Orientalist subjects of Anne-Louis Girodet and Pierre-Narcisse Guérin.