Portrait of Robert Monckton is a 1763 portrait painting by the American artist Benjamin West.[1] It depicts the British soldier Robert Monckton, noted for his service during the Seven Years War. Monckton had been second-in-command to James Wolfe during the Siege of Quebec in 1759 and was wounded at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.[2][3] It commemorates his subsequent command during the Invasion of Martinique in which the French-controlled was captured. The city of Moncton in New Brunswick is named after him. He is dressed in the uniform of a major general and holds a map in his hand. In the background on the left the conquest of Martinique is decpicted.[4]
| Portrait of Robert Monckton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Benjamin West |
| Year | c.1763 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, portrait |
| Dimensions | 229 cm × 169 cm (90 in × 67 in) |
| Location | National Army Museum, London |
It was an important early commission for the Pennsylvania-born artist coming soon after he had arrived in London. He depicts Monckton in the stance of the Apollo Belvedere. Sir Joshua Reynolds encouraged West to exhibit the painting at the Society of Artists in 1764.[5] The painting is now in the collection of the National Army Museum in Chelsea.[4] A mezzotint was produced from the image by the Irish engraver James Watson, a copy of which is now in the British Museum.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Lieutenant-General The Honourable Robert Monckton (1726–1782), 1762". Art UK. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ Reid p.81
- ^ McNairn p.118
- ^ a b "Major-General Robert Monckton at the Taking of Martinique, 1762 | Online Collection | National Army Museum, London". collection.nam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ McNairn pp. 117–18
- ^ "Portrait after West (Staley 665); standing whole-length to front at entrance to tent pointing and looking to right above cannon, holding scroll in his right hand; wearing naval uniform and hat". britishmuseum.org. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
Bibliography
edit- McNairn, Alan. Behold the Hero: General Wolfe and the Arts in the Eighteenth Century. McGill-Queen's Press, 1997
- Reid, Stuart. Quebec 1759: The battle That Won Canada. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013.
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