Queen Philippa at the Battle of Neville's Cross | |
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Artist | Benjamin West |
Year | 1789 |
Type | Oil on canvas, history painting |
Dimensions | 98.4 cm× 151.8 cm(38.7 in× 59.8 in) |
Location | Royal Collection, Windsor Castle |
Queen Philippa at the Battle of Neville's Cross is a 1789 history painting by the Anglo-American artist Benjamin West. [1] [2] It depicts the 1346 Battle of Neville's Cross during the Hundred Years' War. It depicts Philippa of Hainault, queen consort of England, on horseback rallying her forces. On the left of the painting is the Scottish monarch David II fighting on foot and about to be captured. [3]
It was one of eight paintings commissioned by George III depicting scenes from English history, seven of them relating to the reign of Edward III, to decorate the refurbished audience chamber at Windsor Castle. [4] This painting was commissioned for 500 guineas and in 1794 it was exhibited at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. [3]
Philippa of Hainault was Queen of England as the wife and political adviser of King Edward III. She acted as regent in 1346, when her husband was away for the Hundred Years' War.
Anne Neville was Queen of England from 26 June 1483 until her death in 1485 as the wife of King Richard III. She was the younger of the two daughters and co-heiresses of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, and Anne de Beauchamp. Before her marriage to Richard, she had been Princess of Wales as the wife of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, the only son and heir apparent of King Henry VI.
David II was King of Scotland from 1329 until his death in 1371. Upon the death of his father, Robert the Bruce, David succeeded to the throne at the age of five and was crowned at Scone in November 1331, becoming the first Scottish monarch to be anointed at his coronation. During his childhood, David was governed by a series of guardians, and Edward III of England sought to take advantage of David's minority by supporting an invasion of Scotland by Edward Balliol, beginning the Second War of Scottish Independence. Following the English victory at the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333, King David, Queen Joan and the rump of his government were evacuated to France, where he remained in exile until it was safe for him to return to Scotland in 1341.
Benjamin West was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as The Death of Nelson, The Death of General Wolfe, the Treaty of Paris, and Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky.
The Battle of Neville's Cross took place during the Second War of Scottish Independence on 17 October 1346, half a mile to the west of Durham, England. An invading Scottish army of 12,000 led by King David II was defeated with heavy loss by an English army of approximately 6,000–7,000 men led by Ralph Neville, Lord Neville. The battle was named after an Anglo-Saxon stone cross that stood on the hill where the Scots made their stand. After the victory, Neville paid to have a new cross erected to commemorate the day.
Military art is art with a military subject matter, regardless of its style or medium. The battle scene is one of the oldest types of art in developed civilizations, as rulers have always been keen to celebrate their victories and intimidate potential opponents. The depiction of other aspects of warfare, especially the suffering of casualties and civilians, has taken much longer to develop. As well as portraits of military figures, depictions of anonymous soldiers on the battlefield have been very common; since the introduction of military uniforms such works often concentrate on showing the variety of these.
A war artist is an artist either commissioned by a government or publication, or self-motivated, to document first-hand experience of war in any form of illustrative or depictive record. War artists explore the visual and sensory dimensions of war, often absent in written histories or other accounts of warfare.
The Death of General Wolfe is a 1770 painting by Anglo-American artist Benjamin West, commemorating the 1759 Battle of Quebec, where General James Wolfe died at the moment of victory. The painting, containing vivid suggestions of martyrdom, broke a standard rule of historical portraiture by featuring individuals who had not been present at the scene and dressed in modern, instead of classical, costumes. The painting has become one of the best-known images in 18th-century art.
Anne Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick was an important late medieval English noblewoman. She was the daughter of Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, and his second wife, Isabel le Despenser.
Joan of the Tower, daughter of Edward II of England and Isabella of France, was Queen of Scotland from 1329 to her death as the first wife of King David II.
Events from the year 1789 in art.
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The Battle of La Houge is a 1778 painting by the Anglo-American artist Benjamin West depicting the 1692 Battle of La Hogue. Fought off the coast of Normandy the battle was decisive victory for the Royal Navy and its Dutch allies, thwarting an expected French invasion of England.
Edward III Crossing the Somme is a 1788 history painting by the Anglo-American artist Benjamin West. It was one of a series of eight paintings by West depicting the life of the medieval King of England Edward III commissioned by George III to decorate the audience room at Windsor Castle.
The Battle of Trafalgar is an 1836 history painting by the British artist Clarkson Stanfield. It depicts the 1805 naval Battle of Trafalgar in which the Royal Navy led by Horatio Nelson defeated a combined Franco-Spanish fleet during the Napoleonic Wars. The painting was commissioned by the United Service Club and represented a major milestone in Clarkson's career.
Oliver Cromwell Dissolving the Long Parliament is a 1782 history painting by the American-born British artist Benjamin West. It depicts the Long Parliament being forcibly dissolved by Oliver Cromwell his soldiers on 20 April 1653 during the Commonwealth of England. Cromwell then assumed the role of Lord Protector until his death in 1658.