Benjamin West, 1738–1820, American, active in Britain (from 1763)and John Trumbull, 1756–1843, American
Title:
The Battle of La Hogue
Date:
1778, retouched 1806
Materials & Techniques:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
64 3/4 x 96 1/4 inches (164.5 x 244.5 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B2009.2
Gallery Label:
The Battle of La Hogue took place in 1692 after the French King Louis XIV attempted a Franco-Irish invasion to restore the exiled James II to the English throne. The invading fleet was met in the English Channel by a superior AngloDutch fleet and was annihilated. In this painting, Benjamin West depicts the final moments of the battle when Admiral George Rooke (at left, holding a sword) entered the Bay of La Hogue, where the enemy had retreated, and burned twelve French ships of the line. Yet, historical accuracy was not West’s paramount concern here: the French flagship Soleil Royal in the center background had actually been destroyed days earlier at Cherbourg. This was West’s second version of the subject: it was begun in 1778, completed by West’s pupil John Trumbull in 1785, and retouched by West himself in 1806. The smaller first version, exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1780, is now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016
