Naval Engagement, War of 1812
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Thomas Birch (attributed)
1813
Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as Woodrow Wilson's assistant secretary of the Navy during World War I. His library at Hyde Park, NY was filled with artwork depicting naval battles, including this work by Thomas Birch.
Birch emigrated to America in 1794 from England, where he assisted his father in preparing popular engravings. While his early works depicted Philadelphia, he is best known for his naval images of the War of 1812. A Birch painting hung in the Oval Office during John F. Kennedy's presidency.
Oil on canvas. H 70.1, W 60.1 cm
Home Of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, HOFR 226