Death of the Great Wolf

James Gillray
Published, H. Humphrey, London 1795 [1808]

A splendid caricature of the celebrated painting The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West.

Having vanquished a handful of half naked Jacobeans and captured a ragged banner of 'Libertas' , a stricken Pitt is attended by Dundas, in a kilt, who offers him a farewell drink instead of assistance and by Burke who ponders the prospect of a pension of '£ 3700 pr. An.' (BM. commentary 8704).

Beneath the title is the caption: "We have overcome all opposition! I'm satisfied," said the dying hero, and expired in the moment of victory. To Benjn. West Esqr. President of the Royal Academy, this attempt to emulate the beauties of his uneaqual'd picture, of the death of Genl. Wolfe," is most respectfully submitted by the author.

This is a masterly lampoon of the treason & sedition bills then before parliament in the style that made Gillray famous and every bit as collectable today as he was in his own era.

Hand coloured etching.
Click for more information on the printing technique.

13 X 171/8" (33 X 43.4 cm.)
Ref.LRA 1416/RRD/goo SGL
PRICE CODE F SOLD Click Here for Pricing Details

RETURN TO MILITARY CATALOGUE

THE TAKING OF QUEBEC

 After Hervey Smyth, as originally published by Laurie & Whittle London 1797

Ink Jet Reproduction 11 ½ x 15 ¾   matted glazed, natural wood frame 17 ½ x 21 ½”  
Ref. CG18(210)/DL/r.ande>DAL  PRICE CODE A.

Known as a perspective view, wherein Hervey Smyth compressed the events of twelve hours into a single moment. Depicts the amphibious landing of British troops, from the St. Lawrence river, their scaling of the cliffs below, and the arrival of French troops onto the plains of Abraham outside of Quebec.
 One British participant described what happened next:
“The French Line began … advancing briskly and for some little time in good order, [but] a part of their Line began to fire too soon, which immediately catched throughout the whole, then they began to waver but kept advancing with a scattering Fire.—When they had got within about a hundred yards of us our Line moved up regularly with a steady Fire, and when within twenty or thrity yards of closing gave a general [fire]; upon which a total [rout] of the Enemy immediately ensued.”
The battle was over in just fifteen minutes as the British swept forward, claiming the field and capturing hundreds of prisoners. Both sides each lost over 600 men killed and wounded, including both respective commanders. Wolfe was mortally wounded and died a hero on the field. Montcalm, too, was hit by grapeshot in the abdomen and died the next morning. Five days later, Quebec surrendered. The French retreated further downstream to Montreal, attacked and failed to retake Quebec the next spring, and surrendered in whole on September 8, 1760, effectively ending all major military operations in North America during the French and Indian War. The battle for the continent between Britain and France was over.

Anon

THE CAPTURE OF QUEBEC

Hand coloured etching titled in graphite below image
matted, glazed gilt-wood frame.

Image excluding letters: 4 1/4 x 3 1/2" (10.8 x 8.9 cm.) Frame:10 1/2 x 8 1/2"
Ref. DA2 /EN/ a.ande >DAL   SOLD       PRICE CODE  A        Click here for price guide

Depicts the events during the hours of darkness before the morning of 13 Sept 1759 when the British forces were amassing their troops for the Battle of Quebec on the Plains of Abraham above. troops and field artillery are seen being ferried by long boat from the naval vessels to the base of the cliffs at (later to be known as) Wolf's cove. The city of Quebec is seen in the background.  The image is loosely inspired by Hervey Smyth's (1734-1811) famous 1759 view of 'The taking of Quebec' wherein he compressed the events of twelve hours into a single moment. Here the British forces move up the river, offload troops and ordnance, seize the path up the cliffs and prepare to take to plains above which was to be the field of the famous battle.