Capture of Andre, 1780
The subject of this American Revolutionary War scene is the capture of Major John Andre (1750--1780), a spy for the British, by three American militiamen who found papers in Andre's boot proving his connection to Benedict Arnold (an American Continental Army officer who defected to the British military in 1780) and the plot to turn over to the British the fort of West Point, New York. While Arnold escaped, Andre was imprisoned and executed in early October 1780.
This print depicts a country road with four men and a horse (shown in a side view facing right; the saddle blanket is colored a pinkish red with a gold border), In the left background, across a field, is a view of a ship on the Hudson River. At center, a kneeling man (Isaac Van Wart) displays papers on the ground besides a boot, while a man (David Williams) stands behind holding the reins of the horse. To right of center, a British military soldier, Andre (wearing a blue jacket, white vest, and white pants), stands on his right foot (wearing only a white stocking) and his left foot in a boot; he extends his right hand with his watch and a purse to Van Wart. At far right, a barefoot John Paulding, dressed in a brimmed hat, white shirt, and gray pants, puts his right hand on Andre's left shoulder, while his left hand supports the barrel of an upright rifle resting on the ground. At the far left, a large tree trunk towers over low bushes, set behind a couple of large rocks. The title of the print is imprinted in the bottom margin.
This print depicts a country road with four men and a horse (shown in a side view facing right; the saddle blanket is colored a pinkish red with a gold border), In the left background, across a field, is a view of a ship on the Hudson River. At center, a kneeling man (Isaac Van Wart) displays papers on the ground besides a boot, while a man (David Williams) stands behind holding the reins of the horse. To right of center, a British military soldier, Andre (wearing a blue jacket, white vest, and white pants), stands on his right foot (wearing only a white stocking) and his left foot in a boot; he extends his right hand with his watch and a purse to Van Wart. At far right, a barefoot John Paulding, dressed in a brimmed hat, white shirt, and gray pants, puts his right hand on Andre's left shoulder, while his left hand supports the barrel of an upright rifle resting on the ground. At the far left, a large tree trunk towers over low bushes, set behind a couple of large rocks. The title of the print is imprinted in the bottom margin.
Artwork Details
- Title: Capture of Andre, 1780
- Publisher: Lithographed and published by Nathaniel Currier (American, Roxbury, Massachusetts 1813–1888 New York)
- Date: 1845
- Medium: Hand-colored lithograph
- Dimensions: Image: 8 in. × 11 3/4 in. (20.3 × 29.9 cm)
Image and text: 8 1/2 × 11 3/4 in. (21.6 × 29.8 cm)
Sheet: 9 1/2 × 12 7/8 in. (24.1 × 32.7 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Bequest of Adele S. Colgate, 1962
- Object Number: 63.550.461
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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