The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782
Encyclopedia
The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782 (also called The Siege of Gibraltar, The Siege and Relief of Gibraltar or The Repulse of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar) is the title of a 1783 oil-on-canvas painting
by Boston-born American
artist John Singleton Copley
. It depicts the defeat of the floating batteries at Gibraltar
during the Great Siege of Gibraltar
. The Governor of Gibraltar
, General George Augustus Eliott
, is on horseback pointing to the rescue of the defeated Spanish
sailors by the British
.
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The painting is based on an attack that took place in Gibraltar
on September 13, 1782. The Great Siege of Gibraltar
was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain
and France
to capture Gibraltar from the British
during the War of American Independence
. In September 1782 the Spanish formulated a secret weapon known as the Floating Batteries
. Designed to fire on Gibraltar at close quarters with deadly accuracy, these Floating Batteries were built of timbers one metre-wide packed with layers of wet sand and declared fire-proof and unsinkable. The British devised the hot potato in order to counterattack these batteries. These hot potatoes were cannonballs and were pre-heated to furnace pitch, peppering the advancing ships. Many were doused but a rogue hot potato could lie smouldering in the bowels of the ship and the burning cavity would explode into an inferno.
in 1783 to depict a the victory of the Great Siege which had been won a few months earlier. At over 42.5 square metres (458 square feet), his picture is one of Britain’s largest oil paintings.
It depicts the Governor
General George Augustus Eliott
, riding to the edge of the battlements to direct the rescue of the defeated Spanish
sailors by the British
.
General Eliott, created Lord Heathfield in 1787, was also portrayed by Sir Joshua Reynolds
(link), currently in the National Gallery, London
and Copley himself (link), currently in the National Portrait Gallery; both pictures were painted in 1787.
The painting was originally hung in the Common Council Chamber at Guildhall before being transferred to the original Guildhall Art Gallery
in 1886. It was later taken down and taken out of London to be stored in safety during The Blitz
in April 1941, three weeks before the Gallery was destroyed. No wall large enough to display it could be found until the Gallery was finally rebuilt. The painting was then loaned to the Governor
's residence in Gibraltar
, but since 1993 loaned for exhibition/gallery display at the Gibraltar Museum.
It is now on display at the Guildhall Art gallery in London, where it occupies the entire back wall of the main exhibition space.
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
by Boston-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist John Singleton Copley
John Singleton Copley
John Singleton Copley was an American painter, born presumably in Boston, Massachusetts, and a son of Richard and Mary Singleton Copley, both Irish. He is famous for his portrait paintings of important figures in colonial New England, depicting in particular middle-class subjects...
. It depicts the defeat of the floating batteries at Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
during the Great Siege of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
. The Governor of Gibraltar
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
, General George Augustus Eliott
George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield
George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield, KB was a British Army officer who took served in three major wars during the eighteenth century. He rose to distinction during the Seven Years War when he fought in Germany and participated in the British attacks on Belle Île and Cuba...
, is on horseback pointing to the rescue of the defeated Spanish
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
sailors by the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
.
Background
The painting is based on an attack that took place in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on September 13, 1782. The Great Siege of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
and France
Early Modern France
Kingdom of France is the early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century...
to capture Gibraltar from the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
during the War of American Independence
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. In September 1782 the Spanish formulated a secret weapon known as the Floating Batteries
Floating battery
A floating battery is a kind of armed watercraft, often improvised or experimental, which carries a heavy armament but has few other qualities as a warship.An early appearance was during the Great Siege of Gibraltar....
. Designed to fire on Gibraltar at close quarters with deadly accuracy, these Floating Batteries were built of timbers one metre-wide packed with layers of wet sand and declared fire-proof and unsinkable. The British devised the hot potato in order to counterattack these batteries. These hot potatoes were cannonballs and were pre-heated to furnace pitch, peppering the advancing ships. Many were doused but a rogue hot potato could lie smouldering in the bowels of the ship and the burning cavity would explode into an inferno.
Painting
American-born John Singleton Copley was commissioned by the City of LondonCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
in 1783 to depict a the victory of the Great Siege which had been won a few months earlier. At over 42.5 square metres (458 square feet), his picture is one of Britain’s largest oil paintings.
It depicts the Governor
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
General George Augustus Eliott
George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield
George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield, KB was a British Army officer who took served in three major wars during the eighteenth century. He rose to distinction during the Seven Years War when he fought in Germany and participated in the British attacks on Belle Île and Cuba...
, riding to the edge of the battlements to direct the rescue of the defeated Spanish
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
sailors by the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
.
General Eliott, created Lord Heathfield in 1787, was also portrayed by Sir Joshua Reynolds
Joshua Reynolds
Sir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA was an influential 18th-century English painter, specialising in portraits and promoting the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. He was one of the founders and first President of the Royal Academy...
(link), currently in the National Gallery, London
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media...
and Copley himself (link), currently in the National Portrait Gallery; both pictures were painted in 1787.
The painting was originally hung in the Common Council Chamber at Guildhall before being transferred to the original Guildhall Art Gallery
Guildhall Art Gallery
The Guildhall Art Gallery houses the art collection of the City of London, England. It occupies a building that was completed in 1999 to replace an earlier building destroyed in The Blitz in 1941...
in 1886. It was later taken down and taken out of London to be stored in safety during The Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
in April 1941, three weeks before the Gallery was destroyed. No wall large enough to display it could be found until the Gallery was finally rebuilt. The painting was then loaned to the Governor
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
's residence in Gibraltar
The Convent (Gibraltar)
The Convent has been the official residence of the Governor of Gibraltar since 1728. It was originally a convent of Franciscan friars, hence its name, and was completed in 1531....
, but since 1993 loaned for exhibition/gallery display at the Gibraltar Museum.
It is now on display at the Guildhall Art gallery in London, where it occupies the entire back wall of the main exhibition space.
See also
- The Sortie Made by the Garrison of Gibraltar, 1789The Sortie Made by the Garrison of Gibraltar, 1789The Sortie Made by the Garrison of Gibraltar, 1789 is the title of a 1789 oil-on-canvas painting by American artist John Trumbull. The painting depicts the siege made by the Spanish forces against the British at Gibraltar in 1781...