01 Classic Works of Art, Marine Paintings - With Footnotes, #96

Jacob Lawrence, 1917 - 2002

Tension on the High Seas - June 22 - 1807. American Sailors of "The Chesapeake" Captured by the British. in pencil on verso. From the series Struggle....From the History of the American People., c. 1954-56. 

Egg tempera on board

406x305 mm; 16x12 inches.

Private collection

Tension on the High Seas, Jacob Lawrence's 19th panel from his Struggle series, depicts a British naval officer inspecting three bound and wounded captives seized from the American ship, The Chesapeake. Lawrence illustrates a dramatic episode of the British navy "impressment" of possible deserters by force. Despite America's efforts to remain neutral during the Napoleonic Wars, this humiliating episode in the summer of 1807 upset both the American government and public. It was one of a series of provocations leading up to the War of 1812. More on this painting

The War of 1812 (which lasted from 1812 to 1814) was a military conflict between the United States and Great Britain. As a colony of Great Britain, Canada was swept up in the War of 1812 and was invaded a number of times by the Americans. The war was fought in Upper Canada, Lower Canada, on the Great Lakes and the Atlantic, and in the United States. The peace treaty of Ghent, which ended the war, largely returned the status quo. However, in Canada, the war contributed to a growing sense of national identity, including the idea that civilian soldiers were largely responsible for repelling the American invaders. More on the war of 1812

Jacob Lawrence (September 7, 1917 – June 9, 2000) was an African-American painter known for his portrayal of African-American life. As well as a painter, storyteller, and interpreter, he was an educator. Lawrence referred to his style as "dynamic cubism", though by his own account the primary influence was not so much French art as the shapes and colors of Harlem. He brought the African-American experience to life using blacks and browns juxtaposed with vivid colors. He also taught and spent 15 years as a professor at the University of Washington. More on Jacob Lawrence 

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