The Death of General Wolfe is a well-known 1771 painting by Anglo-American artist Benjamin West depicting the final moments of British General James Wolfe during the 1759 Battle of Quebec of the Seven Years' War. It is an oil on canvas of the Neoclassical. West made an additional and nearly identical painting of the same scene for King George III in 1771.
West depicts General Wolfe as a Christ-like figure. This painting has a triangular compositi...
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The Death of General Wolfe is a well-known 1771 painting by Anglo-American artist Benjamin West depicting the final moments of British General James Wolfe during the 1759 Battle of Quebec of the Seven Years' War. It is an oil on canvas of the Neoclassical. West made an additional and nearly identical painting of the same scene for King George III in 1771.
West depicts General Wolfe as a Christ-like figure. This painting has a triangular composition, made by the top of the flag (as the apex) and the positions of the men. It resembles the painting of La Pietà, where Christ is held in the embrace of the Virgin Mary.
The depiction of the Native American warrior in the painting — kneeling with his chin on his fist, looking at General Wolfe — has been analyzed in various ways. In art, the touching of one's face with one's hand is a sign of deep thought and intelligence (thus Rodin's The Thinker). Some consider it an idealization inspired by the noble savage concept (Fryd, 75). On the ground...
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