Petrus Weyts, 'Capture of the English frigate Java by the American frigate Constitution in the year 1813'

Petrus Weyts, 'Capture of the English frigate Java by the American frigate Constitution in the year 1813', reverse glass painting, 71 x 42,5 cm, 1832

The destruction of the HMS Java was the third victory by the U.S. navy during the British American war of 1812-1814 and ended the idea of invincibility of the British fleet. The British had 900 warships, while the U.S. had 17 at that point.

Left: the English frigate Java with rigging shot to pieces. (Built 1805 in France, 47 eighteen pounders, captain Henry Lambert)
Right: the American frigate Consitution sailing close-hauled with three mast sails shooting from its cannons towards the Java. (Built 1797 in Boston, 1444 tons, 32 twentyfour pounders, captain William Bainbridge)

Previous collection J. Van Beylen, exhibited at the Nationaal Scheepvaartmuseum in Antwerp (now MAS) 1981.