Description:
This image depicts the death of American brigadier general Zebulon Montgomery Pike (1779-1813) at the Battle of York near York, Upper Canada, (present day Toronto, Ontario) on 27 April 1813. Pike was assigned to lead a campaign north from Sackets Harbor, New York, north into Canada. The goal of the expedition was to capture the British capital city of York (now Toronto) on Lake Ontario in Upper Canada. Though slowed by the frigid Canadian winter, Pike led the easy capture of York after landing his 1,600 regulars across the Lake Ontario against a much smaller combined British force. Though the garrison was easily captured, retreating British soldiers set fire to its buildings, resulting in a terrific explosion as the flames reached the powder magazine. The explosion wounded 222 soldiers, and killed an additional 38, with Pike among one of the dead. This work is thought to be Oliver Tarbell Eddy's earliest known engraving. Engraved and etched print, scene depicts a dressed military officer, General Pike, with bicorn har with plume and tassels, who has fallen off of his horse on the left hand side, his sword lies on the ground perpendicular to his body; the horse is seen in the center of the print rearing up on his hind legs, the horse has a saddle with a decorative pad and patterned girth straps, there is a tree on the right hand side, at the lower right side is a very small house and a pair of trees, at the bottom of the print is the inscription, "DEATH OF GENERAL PIKE, AT L. YORK." in a black painted and molded frame. Condition: The sheet is reinforced on the back with very fine silk mesh, there is a horizontal fold in the center with a few associated tears, the right and left edges have a few approx. 1 to 1 1/2 in closed tears; there are three repaired tears along the top edge, one small repaired hole below the horse's belly, and at lower right edge; plate mark is complete; image has minor toning but is bright overall. Copies of this print are extremely rare; known examples are in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery and the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, MA. A Wendy Shadwell Bequest in the year 2022 from the American Historical Print Collectors Society provided funding for the conservation of this print.
Tags:
portraits; wars; military; horses; deaths Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2019.11.1 |
