The Battle
The Battle of the Chesapeake Bay was one of the decisive turning points in American history. The British navy’s loss of this battle allowed General George Washington to defeat the British at Yorktown, thereby ending the American Revolution. The battle took place just outside the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on September 5, 1781, between a British fleet of 19 ships and a French fleet of 24 ships. For two and a half hours the fleets traded broadsides, sending thousands of cannonballs smashing into hulls, masts and sailors. Neither fleet was decisively defeated, but the French won the day by denying the British entrance into the Bay. This prevented the British from resupplying their troops, and allowed American men and provisions to reach Washington’s army. As a result, the British were forced to surrender to General Washington.

The Painting
Traditional maritime paintings generally depict battles at sea from afar, as if the viewer is watching the battle from a safe distance. Mr. O’Brien has chosen a viewpoint from inside the action, almost as if the viewer is on the deck of one of the ships. Mr. O’Brien began by doing exhaustive research to ensure that the paintings would be as accurate as possible. He consulted charts and accounts of the action, the journals of admirals from both fleets, and manuals of building, rigging and handling of 18th century sailing ships. He also studied dockyard models at the Naval Academy Museum. These models were built at the same time and in the same shipyards as the actual ships.