The Battle of Alexandria, 21 March 1801
About this artwork
A battle rages in the background while a group of officers anxiously gather around their seated commander, whose slumped appearance suggests that all is not well. The man is Sir Ralph Abercromby, and the painting shows the Battle of Alexandria, 21 March 1801, which put an end to Napoleon's Egyptian empire and with it the French threat to British India and other territories east of Suez. De Loutherbourg has chosen the moment of battle when Abercromby was fatally wounded, introducing an element of personal tragedy into the national victory.
Updated before 2020
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artist:
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title:The Battle of Alexandria, 21 March 1801
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date created:1802
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materials:Oil on canvas
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measurements:106.60 x 152.60 cm; Framed: 120.00 x 165.50 x 5.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased 1986
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accession number:PG 2680
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Philip James de Loutherbourg
Philip James de Loutherbourg
The son of a miniature painter and engraver of the same name, Philip James de Loutherbourg began his artistic training in Paris in around 1755. Specialising in landscape painting, he soon attracted notice for his atmospheric compositions, being made a member of the prestigious Académie Royale just...