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Midshipman Augustus Brine

1782
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 628
Augustus Brine (1769–1840) was the son of Admiral James Brine of the Royal British Navy, by his first wife, Jane Knight. At the age of thirteen, in 1782, Brine enlisted in the Navy as a midshipman aboard the "Belliqueux" under the command of his father. In 1790, he was made lieutenant and, eight years later, he became a commander. During the War of 1812, he commanded the "Medway" and successfully captured the American brig "Syran." He was named rear admiral in 1822. This portrait of young Brine was painted in 1782, seven years after Copley had arrived in England.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Midshipman Augustus Brine
  • Artist: John Singleton Copley (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1738–1815 London)
  • Date: 1782
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 50 x 40 in. (127 x 101.6 cm)
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Richard De Wolfe Brixey, 1943
  • Object Number: 43.86.4
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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4320. Midshipman Augustus Brine

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John Singleton Copley - Midshipman Augustus Brine - American - The Metropolitan Museum of Art