During the American Civil War, the United States warship "Kearsarge" made headlines after sinking the Confederate raider "Alabama" off the coast of France. Manet did not witness firsthand the widely covered event, he only read of it in the newspapers but devoted two paintings to the subject: a scene of the naval battle (now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art) and this picture, prompted by his subsequent visit to the victorious ship at anchor near Boulogne. They were his first depictions of a current event. One of the first (but not the last) among them is also the most famous one: The Execution of Emperor Maximilian.
Dear DailyArt users, we need your help! Please consider donating to the development of our new DailyArt apps. Without them we won't be able to operate much longer, as the ones you use now are too old. :( Learn how you can help!
P.S. Would you believe it's a Manet painting? Check out 5 things you should know about Manet.