.jpg) George Romney (1734-1802) Head of James Wolfe (Study for The Death of General Wolfe), about 1763 oil on canvas Webster Canadiana Collection, W1842 .jpg) Richard Houston (1721-1775) after Edward Penny The Death of General Wolfe on the 13th Sepr. 1759, at Quebec, 1772 mezzotint on laid paper Webster Canadiana Collection, W1988 .jpg) Artist unknown after
Benjamin West (1738-1820)The Death of General Wolfe, 18th century ? oil on canvas Webster Canadiana Collection, W5232 .jpg) Artist unknown after
Benjamin West (1738-1820)The Death of James Wolfe, 18th century oil on metal (iron) Webster Canadiana Collection, W6804 .jpg) William Woollett
(1735-1785), after Benjamin West (1738-1820)The Death of General Wolfe, 1776 engraving on laid paper Published by Woollett, Boydell & Ryland, London Webster Canadiana Collection, W1995 .jpg) James Gillray
(1757-1815)The Death of the Great Wolf, 1795 etching and engraving on wove paper Webster Canadiana Collection, W2026 .jpg) Jug, British, c. 1778 Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd. Adaptation of William Woollett’s engraving, The Death of General Wolfe after Benjamin West Queen’s ware transfer-printed in black Webster Canadiana Collection, W2024a .jpg) Seal with intaglio scene from The Death of General Wolfe, late 18th century Artist unknown after Benjamin West (1738-1820) carnelian and gold Webster Canadiana Collection, W5231 |
GEORGE ROMNEY British (Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire 1734-1802 Kendal, Westmoreland) George Romney arrived in London from his home in Kendal in 1762. Like many young artists, he was set on making his reputation in the capital. At the Society of Artists exhibition in 1763, he displayed a Death of General Wolfe, the first known painted rendition of the subject. Romney’s canvas was applauded, awarded a prize and purchased. The purchaser was a banker, who sent the painting as a gift to the governor of Bengal in Calcutta, India. Since it left the scene so quickly after the exhibition, the work was never reproduced and is now lost. Its appearance can only be surmised from contemporary descriptions, this preparatory study of Wolfe and two other oil sketches attributed to Romney. EDWARD PENNY British (Knutsford, Cheshire 1714-1791 Chiswick) In 1764, Edward Penny, a respected narrative painter, exhibited his Death of General Wolfe, 1763 (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) at the Society of Artists. He also painted a smaller, slightly altered version (Petworth House, Sussex) which was the model for this print by Richard Houston. In his two compositions, Penny quite accurately represented the death scene as reported at the time and had no aspirations to grandeur of concept. Small in scale, the paintings lack the monumentality of Romney’s and later versions. Houston’s print, published by Robert Sayer, sold very well and must have influenced Benjamin West, who borrowed the figure of the messenger running toward Wolfe waving his hat. BENJAMIN WEST American (Springfield, Pa. 1738-1820 London) Born in Springfield, Pennsylvania, Benjamin West was living in America when the Battle on the Plains of Abraham took place. When he relocated permanently to London in 1763, he brought an outsider’s perspective to his highly successful career as an artist in England. In 1771, he exhibited The Death of General Wolfe, 1770 (National Gallery of Canada) at the annual Royal Academy exhibition. The composition is an idealization of the event, replete with many figures who were not present at the time. West's painting engendered considerable debate surrounding the artistic licence that he took with the scene and the decorum of treating a contemporary event. By representing Wolfe in modern uniform, West contravened rules of painting in the “grand manner” which dictated that the hero should be elevated from the mere mortal by being depicted in the nude or in classical dress. These points of debate, however, did not detract from the work’s popularity and it eventually became one of the most celebrated British history paintings of all time. Such was its renown that West painted at least five replicas. There are also numerous copies by other artists, such as the two on display here. William Woollett (1735-1785) In 1776, the same year James Barry exhibited his painting, William Woollett, John Boydell and William Wynne Ryland published an engraving after West’s painting. Mainly through this print, Benjamin West’s depiction of Wolfe’s demise became the most widely known eighteenth-century art work. The engraving was so popular at home and abroad that it garnered enormous profits for the publisher, engraver and painter. Sold in England, France, Germany and America, Woollett’s print and countless copies made from it, brought Wolfe international recognition as a legendary hero. James Gillray (1757-1815) The iconography of General Wolfe’s heroic and glorious demise was used by satirists to ridicule contemporary politicians. Here, James Gillray, who was considered the best caricaturist of his age, skillfully parodies West’s composition to mock Prime Minister William Pitt, the Younger (1759-1806). In the pose of the noble Wolfe, the ignoble Pitt is surrounded by cronies and members of his government, all of whom were being satirized for the recent passing of two very repressive pieces of legislation. Jug, British, c. 1778 Britain’s national pride in their valiant hero demanded ubiquitous images of his death. On tablewares such as this jug, it could be witnessed daily in households throughout the country. Wedgwood was one of a number of companies that replicated West’s version of the scene on domestic wares. The source for these was not the painting itself, but William Woollett’s print or, possibly, one of its many copies. Seal with intaglio scene from The Death of General Wolfe, late 18th century Gem-engraving is an ancient art form that enjoyed a strong revival in the eighteenth century. To the traditional classical subjects, details of popular paintings were added during the second half of the century. The choice of West’s Death of General Wolfe for such an intimate and personal object as a seal is a clear indication of the subject’s great appeal. Although the seal is unsigned, it may well have been cut in London, which was the most important centre for gem-engraving outside Rome. Carnelian was one of the most commonly used stones. Oddly, the composition is not reversed, for it would appear so in impression, the usual way in which the work would be appreciated. |
