Major-General James Wolfe (1727–1759), 1759

Image credit: National Army Museum

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Notes

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In the decade following General Wolfe’s death in 1759, this was the most famous image of this remarkable young man. It is the earliest accurate portrait of him at the moment of his greatest victory at Quebec in 1759, during the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763).

When news of Wolfe’s heroic death in the service of his country reached Britain on 16 October 1759, he became a celebrity overnight. The public wanted to know what he looked like, but because he died in action there were no existing portraits showing him at the time of his triumph. This painting is the closest there is: although painted shortly after his death, it is based on an eyewitness sketch by Wolfe’s aide-de-camp, Captain Hervey Smyth.

National Army Museum

London

Title

Major-General James Wolfe (1727–1759), 1759

Date

1760

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 48 x W 43 cm (E)

Accession number

NAM. 2008-05-25

Acquisition method

purchased from an anonymous source with aid from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Society of Friends of the National Army Museum, the Art Fund and donations from the public, 2008

Work type

Painting

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Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London, Greater London SW3 4HT England

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