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The Death of Major Peirson, 6 January 1781

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312: 324: 27: 93: 217:, in bed. Although Corbet surrendered, Peirson, the 24-year-old commander of around 2,000 troops of the British garrison, refused to surrender. As Peirson organized a counter-attack, a French shot killed him. Lieutenant Philippe Dumaresq of the Jersey militia took command of the British forces, which comprised detachments of the 263:, supported by other officers) being shot down leading the final charge, giving him a more heroic role and fate. To the left, his black servant Pompey avenges his master by shooting the sniper. It is believed that the depictions of the officers supporting the stricken Peirson are true portraits; the black servant of auctioneer 267:
was the model for Pompey, although it is unclear whether a black servant played a role (there is no suggestion in contemporaneous sources). Copley modeled the civilians fleeing to the right on his wife, family nurse and children.
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but funded and supplied by the French government, and was intended to remove the threat that British naval vessels based in Jersey posed to American ships in the
730: 311: 755: 186:, and one of the last battles with invading forces from a foreign nation in the British home islands. The invasion was organized privately by Baron 557: 282:
until his death in 1804; during a 1805 sale of Boydell's collection, Copley reacquired the painting. Subsequently it passed to Copley's son
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Although Peirson was killed in the early stages of the battle, the painting shows Peirson (at the centre of the painting under the large
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a full text exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which contains material on the painting (fig. 10)
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involved a short-lived French invasion of Wales in February 1797, and a French expeditionary force fought at the
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Peirson became a national hero, and the painting drew crowds when it was first exhibited at 28
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Empires of the Imagination: Politics, War, and the Arts in the British World, 1750–1850
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Approximately 1,000 French soldiers, commanded by de Rullecourt and an Indian,
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The Death of General Montgomery in the Attack on Quebec, December 31, 1775
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251 cm × 365 cm (99 in × 144 in)
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The Battle of Jersey was the last French attempt to seize the island of
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The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782
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in 1746 was the last pitched battle on the British mainland; the
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The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782
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on 6 January 1781, part of the European Theatre of the
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early on the morning of 6 January. They captured the
689: 656: 549: 275:in May 1784, with admission charged at 1 shilling. 133: 125: 117: 109: 99: 85: 430: 301:Between 1989 and 2010, a copy appeared on the 10 468:; G. Hamilton; Charles Tilt, 1833; p. 193-5 158:executed in 1783 by the Anglo-American artist 527: 8: 412: 305:note, and before that on the 1 pound note. 781:Works about the American Revolutionary War 622:The Death of Major Peirson, 6 January 1781 534: 520: 512: 496:The Death of Major Peirson, 6 January 1781 240:, a successful engraver and publisher and 205:, overnight on 5–6 January. They occupied 151:The Death of Major Peirson, 6 January 1781 82: 71:Learn how and when to remove this message 771:Cultural depictions of military officers 34:This article includes a list of general 751:Paintings about the American Revolution 405: 364: 307: 558:Portrait of Mrs. Theodore Atkinson Jr. 499:at the Tate Gallery's official website 16:1783 painting by John Singleton Copley 766:Cultural depictions of British people 476:; Holger Hoock; Profile Books, 2010; 7: 286:; from Lord Lyndhurst's collection, 731:Paintings by John Singleton Copley 40:it lacks sufficient corresponding 14: 162:. It depicts the death of Major 756:Collection of the Tate galleries 697:John Copley, 1st Baron Lyndhurst 614:The Death of the Earl of Chatham 504:John Singleton Copley in America 433:John Singleton Copley in England 322: 310: 91: 25: 1: 211:Lieutenant Governor of Jersey 566:A Boy with a Flying Squirrel 415:, p. 140, under cat. no. 18. 429:Ballew Neff, Emily (1995). 802: 630:Portrait of Lord Mansfield 288:The Death of Major Peirson 280:The Death of Major Peirson 192:American Revolutionary War 172:American Revolutionary War 86:The Death of Major Peirson 786:Paintings of black people 90: 646:The Battle of Camperdown 354:, contemporary of Copley 298:, where it remains now. 574:Portrait of Thomas Gage 385:Irish Rebellion of 1798 290:was purchased into the 201:, landed at La Rocque, 55:more precise citations. 598:Dr. Silvester Gardiner 188:Philippe de Rullecourt 746:Paintings about death 590:Mrs Humphrey Devereux 543:John Singleton Copley 381:Battle of Ballinamuck 219:95th Regiment of Foot 160:John Singleton Copley 104:John Singleton Copley 606:Watson and the Shark 776:Paintings of people 676:Copley Square Hotel 377:Battle of Fishguard 465:The English school 373:Battle of Culloden 278:Boydell had owned 718: 717: 147: 146: 81: 80: 73: 793: 582:Mrs. Thomas Gage 536: 529: 522: 513: 460: 457:Internet Archive 455:– via the 436: 416: 413:Ballew Neff 1995 410: 388: 369: 326: 317:1784 description 314: 292:National Gallery 223:78th Highlanders 168:Battle of Jersey 95: 83: 76: 69: 65: 62: 56: 51:this article by 42:inline citations 29: 28: 21: 801: 800: 796: 795: 794: 792: 791: 790: 721: 720: 719: 714: 685: 652: 545: 540: 491: 445: 428: 420: 419: 411: 407: 397: 392: 391: 370: 366: 361: 334: 327: 318: 315: 235: 180: 164:Francis Peirson 77: 66: 60: 57: 47:Please help to 46: 30: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 799: 797: 789: 788: 783: 778: 773: 768: 763: 761:1783 paintings 758: 753: 748: 743: 738: 733: 723: 722: 716: 715: 713: 712: 706: 705:(half-brother) 700: 693: 691: 687: 686: 684: 683: 681:Mercury crater 678: 673: 672: 671: 660: 658: 654: 653: 651: 650: 642: 634: 626: 618: 610: 602: 594: 586: 578: 570: 562: 553: 551: 547: 546: 541: 539: 538: 531: 524: 516: 510: 509: 500: 490: 489:External links 487: 486: 485: 484:, p. 94-6 469: 461: 443: 425: 424: 418: 417: 404: 403: 402: 401: 396: 393: 390: 389: 363: 362: 360: 357: 356: 355: 350:– painting by 343: 333: 330: 329: 328: 321: 319: 316: 309: 284:Lord Lyndhurst 265:James Christie 246:City of London 234: 231: 227:Jersey Militia 179: 176: 145: 144: 135: 131: 130: 127: 123: 122: 119: 115: 114: 111: 107: 106: 101: 97: 96: 88: 87: 79: 78: 33: 31: 24: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 798: 787: 784: 782: 779: 777: 774: 772: 769: 767: 764: 762: 759: 757: 754: 752: 749: 747: 744: 742: 739: 737: 736:War paintings 734: 732: 729: 728: 726: 710: 707: 704: 701: 698: 695: 694: 692: 688: 682: 679: 677: 674: 670: 667: 666: 665: 664:Copley Square 662: 661: 659: 655: 648: 647: 643: 640: 639: 635: 632: 631: 627: 624: 623: 619: 616: 615: 611: 608: 607: 603: 600: 599: 595: 592: 591: 587: 584: 583: 579: 576: 575: 571: 568: 567: 563: 560: 559: 555: 554: 552: 548: 544: 537: 532: 530: 525: 523: 518: 517: 514: 507: 505: 501: 498: 497: 493: 492: 488: 483: 482:1-86197-859-6 479: 475: 474: 470: 467: 466: 462: 458: 454: 450: 446: 444:0-89090-070-1 440: 435: 434: 427: 426: 422: 421: 414: 409: 406: 399: 398: 394: 386: 382: 378: 374: 368: 365: 358: 353: 352:John Trumbull 349: 348: 344: 341: 340: 336: 335: 331: 325: 320: 313: 308: 306: 304: 299: 297: 293: 289: 285: 281: 276: 274: 269: 266: 262: 257: 255: 251: 247: 243: 239: 232: 230: 228: 224: 220: 216: 212: 208: 204: 200: 195: 193: 189: 185: 177: 175: 173: 169: 165: 161: 157: 153: 152: 143: 139: 136: 132: 128: 124: 121:Oil on canvas 120: 116: 112: 108: 105: 102: 98: 94: 89: 84: 75: 72: 64: 54: 50: 44: 43: 37: 32: 23: 22: 19: 741:Flags in art 711:(stepfather) 709:Peter Pelham 703:Henry Pelham 644: 636: 628: 621: 620: 612: 609:(1778, 1782) 604: 596: 588: 580: 572: 564: 556: 502: 495: 472: 464: 432: 423:Bibliography 408: 367: 345: 337: 303:Jersey pound 300: 296:Tate Gallery 287: 279: 277: 270: 258: 250:Royal Square 238:John Boydell 236: 215:Moses Corbet 196: 181: 156:oil painting 150: 149: 148: 138:Tate Britain 67: 58: 39: 18: 154:is a large 53:introducing 725:Categories 395:References 261:Union Flag 199:Mir Sayyad 178:Background 126:Dimensions 36:references 561:(c. 1765) 550:Paintings 400:Citations 273:Haymarket 254:George II 207:St Helier 203:Grouville 61:June 2011 453:95-24702 332:See also 242:Aldermen 233:Painting 134:Location 690:Related 383:in the 244:of the 166:at the 49:improve 669:statue 657:Legacy 649:(1799) 641:(1791) 633:(1783) 625:(1783) 617:(1781) 601:(1772) 593:(1771) 585:(1771) 577:(1768) 569:(1765) 480:  451:  441:  225:, and 184:Jersey 142:London 118:Medium 100:Artist 38:, but 699:(son) 359:Notes 478:ISBN 449:LCCN 439:ISBN 371:The 113:1783 110:Year 727:: 447:. 221:, 213:, 194:. 174:. 140:, 535:e 528:t 521:v 506:, 459:. 387:. 74:) 68:( 63:) 59:( 45:.

Index

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John Singleton Copley
Tate Britain
London
oil painting
John Singleton Copley
Francis Peirson
Battle of Jersey
American Revolutionary War
Jersey
Philippe de Rullecourt
American Revolutionary War
Mir Sayyad
Grouville
St Helier
Lieutenant Governor of Jersey
Moses Corbet
95th Regiment of Foot
78th Highlanders
Jersey Militia
John Boydell
Aldermen
City of London
Royal Square
George II

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