Artwork details · 2026-03-19

The Death of General Wolfe

by Benjamin West · 1770

The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West

Artist

Benjamin West was a United States painter associated with the Neoclassicism movement.

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Artwork

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.

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Quick facts

Artist
Benjamin West
Year
1770
Movement
Neoclassicism
Country
United States
Location
Musée des beaux-arts du Canada