THE DEATH OF WOLFE.

GENERAL Wolfe, a young officer of great promise, was entrusted with the command of the forces destined to attack Quebec, in the American campaign of 1759. Accordingly, having succeeded in effecting a landing near that city, a battle was fought which decided the fate of Canada; and the engagement was rendered the more remarkable by the death of the commanding officers of each army, the marquis de Montcalm, and general Wolfe.

West has treated this incident with simplicity and sound judgment; dividing his composition into three groups he has depicted the dying hero in the centre, stretched on the ground, surrounded by a few officers, and attended by the chief-surgeon Adair, who is occupied in staunching the blood that flows from his death-wound: his ear has just caught the shout of victory, and, with the assistance of major Barré, he raises himself on one hand for a last look towards the field of battle. The principal figure in the next group is general Monkton, severely wounded, who appears to forget his own suffering as he contemplates the last moments of his friend. A Highlander, a colonial rifleman, and an Indian warrior on the left, and two wounded english soldiers on the right, complete the composition.

This well known picture was painted in 1770; it confirmed the fame of its painter, and effected a revolution in english art: the original picture, for which West received 300 guineas, belongs to the marquis of Westminster, but six repetitions exist in other collections; it was finely engraved by Woollett, and his plate has been copied fac-simile by Theod. Falckeysen of Basil, and by other persons.

Size 5 feet,

by 7

feet.