Battle of Roleia [Roliça]—Augt. 17th 1808

Creator:

William Heath (1795-1840), drawings; Thomas Sutherland (ca.1785-ca.1825), engraver

Description:

Colored aquatint From The Martial Achievements of Great Britain and Her Allies, from 1799 to 1815 London: L. Harrison & J.C. Leigh for J. Jenkins, 1815

Curatorial Notes:

Artist William Heath, known for his military scenes and later satires, captures this intense moment during the Battle of Roliça. It was the first engagement fought and won by the Anglo-Portuguese army during the Peninsular War (1807-1814), a military conflict for control of the Iberian Peninsula. The scene is one of many illustrations in this volume glorifying British martial achievements and that the “power of the once invincible Buonaparte is no more.”

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