French fireships attacking the English fleet off Quebec, 28 June 1759

BHC0394

French fireships attacking the English fleet off Quebec, 28 June 1759 Long Caption: An incident during the Seven Years War, 1756-1763, between France and Britain. 1759 was a year of victories for Britain and on 26 June Admiral Sir Charles Saunders' powerful fleet, which had conveyed Major-General James Wolfe's land forces to Canada, anchored off the Ile d'Orleans on the St Lawrence River, below Quebec. A month after the fire-ship attack depicted in BHC0392, the French made a second bid to dislodge Saunders' fleet, which is the subject of this painting. About 100 fire-rafts were sent down but these fared no better than the earlier fire-ships and were towed safely aside by the boats of the fleet. Credit line: © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Greenwich Hospital Collection Object: BHC0394 Artist: Dominic Serres, the Elder Date: 18th century Medium: oil on canvas Size: 915 mm x 1524 mm Click here to buy a bespoke print of this image.