Oil Painting, The Privateer Brig <I>Warrior</I> Capturing The Schooner <I>Hope</I>
date: label: Date made
content: ca 1814
label: Associated Date
content: early 19th century
name: label: captained the ship depicted
content: Champlin, Guy R.
label: purchased and donated the painting
content: CIGNA
label: maker
content: Birch, Thomas
notes: label: Description
content: In this ca. 1814 scene by artist Thomas Birch, the American privateer brig <I>Warrior</I> has just captured the English schooner <I>Hope</I>, which was en route from Glasgow, Scotland to Buenos Ayres, Brazil with a cargo of English manufactured goods.
label: Description
content: A bitter offshore battle has left large jagged cannonball holes in the sails of both vessels. The <I>Warrior</I>'s crew has removed the <I>Hope</I>'s cargo, and is placing a prize crew aboard the <I>Hope</I> via the two small craft going between the two ships. The prize crew will sail the <I>Hope</I> to an American port, where the prize can be formally registered and auctioned off, with the proceeds shared among the <I>Warrior</I>'s owners and crew. Prize crews manned captured enemy ships, which could otherwise escape too easily.
label: Description
content: Contemporary sources indicate that the 430-ton armed privateer brig <I>Warrior</I> was built on the swift pilot boat model and carried 21 guns and 150 crew during the War of 1812. Large crews were required by privateers not only to fight enemy shipping, but to provide prize crews if successful. The <I>Warrior</I>'s captain Guy R. Champlin was one of the American sailors most feared by the British, as he had a remarkable record of bold action, great bravery and fearless aggression.
label: Description
content: Anglo-American artist Thomas Birch (1779-1851) began painting marine scenes in the early 19th century. He is known to have painted several War of 1812 engagements based upon eyewitness accounts—this is a rare preserved example. The British schooner <I>Hope</I> was insured by the oldest marine insurer in North America, the Insurance Company of North America (INA), which bought the painting. It was donated to the Smithsonian in 2005 by CIGNA, INA’s successor corporation.
topic: label: Subject
content: Maritime
label: related event
content: War of 1812
label: related event
content: Revolution and the New Nation
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Maritime
label: See more items in
content: Cigna Maritime Collection
label: See more items in
content: Transportation
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content: On the Water exhibit
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content: Art
label: Exhibition
content: On the Water
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: National Museum of American History. On the Water exhibition website
label: Related Web Publication
content: http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of CIGNA Museum and Art Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0279.021
label: accession number
content: 2005.0279
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0279.021
objectType: label: Object Name
content: painting
label: Object Name
content: painting, oil
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: oil on canvas (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: without frame: 14 in x 22 in; 35.56 cm x 55.88 cm
label: Measurements
content: with frame: 18 in x 26 in; 45.72 cm x 66.04 cm