Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell
1725 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
About this artwork
This large oil painting is one of a series of imaginary commemorative monuments commissioned by Owen McSwiny to honor notable British figures. It features classical ruins and elaborate fountains arranged to symbolize the life and legacy of Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell.
Did you know?
This painting was part of a grandiose project by the impresario Owen McSwiny, who commissioned a series of allegorical 'tombs' of famous Englishmen from various Italian painters. Sebastiano Ricci was chosen to capture the dramatic naval career of Admiral Shovell, who had famously perished in a tragic shipwreck in the Scilly Isles in 1707. The elaborate scene reflects the 18th-century obsession with combining classical antiquity with contemporary political veneration.
On your wall. Unlock the HD download and keep this piece in your Vault — forever.
Know the artwork. Knowing its title and artist turns a beautiful image into a story worth sharing — with a museum label:
Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell
Sebastiano Ricci, 1725
