Model on display at the Musée de la Marine |
|
| Career (Kingdom of France) | |
|---|---|
| Namesake: | Artois |
| Builder: | Joseph Ollivier |
| Laid down: | Brest, 1764 |
| Launched: | 1765 |
| Out of service: | 1785 |
| Fate: | Engineering hulk |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Artésien class ship of the line |
| Displacement: | 1260 tonnes |
| Length: | 47 metres |
| Beam: | 12 metres |
| Draught: | 6 metres |
| Armament: |
64 guns: |
| Armour: | timber |
The Artésien (“Artesian”) was a 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.
She was built in 1765 as a part of a series of 12 ships of the line began by Choiseul to compensate for the losses endured by the French Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War [1]. She was paid by the province of Artois and Flander, and named in its honour, according to the practice of the time[2].
The Artésien took part in the American revolutionary war under Suffren, departing in 1781. Off Cape Verde, Artésien detected an English squadron, resulting in the Battle of Porto Praya.[3]
Artésien was decommissioned in 1785 and used as a shear hulk.
A fine 1/28th scale model was used to instruct Louis XVI in naval studies. The model is now on display at the Musée de la Marine.