Destruction of the American Fleet at Penobscot Bay

Destruction of the American Fleet at Penobscot Bay is an oil on canvas history painting by the French-born artist Dominic Serres, from c. 1779.^[1]

Destruction of the American Fleet at Penobscot Bay
Artist	Dominic Serres
Year	c. 1779
Type	Oil on canvas, history painting
Dimensions	101.6 cm × 152.4 cm (40.0 in × 60.0 in)
Location	National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

History and description

It depicts a scene from the Penobscot Expedition on 14 August 1779 during the American War of Independence.^[2] After a British force had landed in Penobscot Bay in modern-day Maine, an expedition largely from Massachusetts moved to dislode them. A smaller relief force of the Royal Navy under George Collier arrived from New York and attacked, destroying much of the shipping.^[3]

Serres, a member of the Royal Academy, settled in London and developed a reputation of his maritime paintings. The painting was commissioned by Collier to commemorate the victory.^[4] On the left of the picture HMS Raisonnable can be seen firing into the Hunter while on the right the British squadron chases the American ships upriver, many of them already ablaze. From British shore batteries comes supporting fire. Today the painting is in the collection of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. ^[5]