The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West

E124191

"The Death of General Wolfe" by Benjamin West is a famous 1770 history painting that dramatically depicts the dying British general during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in a contemporary, rather than classical, setting.

All labels observed (2)

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Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf history painting
oil painting
artisticInnovation contemporary dress instead of classical drapery
artisticTheme heroic death
patriotic sacrifice
colorPalette muted earth tones with dramatic lighting
commissionedBy Thomas Lyttelton, 2nd Baron Lyttelton
copyrightStatus public domain
countryOfOrigin Great Britain
creator Benjamin West
depicts Battle of Quebec (1759)
surface form: Battle of the Plains of Abraham

British Army officers
Indigenous warrior
James Wolfe
Quebec landscape
Saint Lawrence River
surface form: Saint Lawrence River background

Seven Years' War
Union Flag
surface form: Union Jack flag

religious overtones through pose and composition
firstExhibited Royal Academy of Arts
firstExhibitedIn London, England
surface form: London
genre history painting
hasCompositionFeature pyramidal grouping around central figure
hasPart central figure of dying Wolfe
group of officers surrounding Wolfe
kneeling Indigenous warrior observing scene
historicalAccuracy includes anachronistic group portrait of officers
inception 1770
inCollection National Gallery of Canada permanent collection
influencedBy Christian Lamentation scenes
languageOfTitle English
locatedIn Ottawa
location National Gallery of Canada
mainSubject death of General James Wolfe
materialUsed oil paint
movement Neoclassicism
Romanticism
notableFor blend of realism and idealization
controversial use of contemporary costume in history painting
setInEvent Battle of Quebec (1759)
surface form: Battle of the Plains of Abraham
setInTime 1759
significance landmark in British history painting
popularized modern-dress history painting
support canvas

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Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

National Gallery of Canada hasNotableWork The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West
Benjamin West knownFor The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West
this entity surface form: The Death of General Wolfe
Benjamin West notableWork The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West
this entity surface form: The Death of General Wolfe
Elizabeth Shewell notableWork The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West
subject surface form: Benjamin West
this entity surface form: The Death of General Wolfe