English: This is one of a series of 11 painting completed by Serres for the Keppel family of the capture of Havana, the last major operation of the Seven Years War, 1756–63. It was part of England’s offensive against Spain when she entered the war in support of France late in 1761. The British Government’s response was immediately to plan large offensive amphibious operations against Spanish overseas possessions, particularly Havana, the capital of the western dominions and Manila, the capital of the eastern. Havana needed large forces for its capture and early in 1762 ships and troops were dispatched under Admiral Sir George Pocock and General the Earl of Albemarle. The force which descended on Cuba consisted of 22 ships of the line, four 50-gun ships, three 40-gunners, a dozen frigates and a dozen sloops and bomb vessels. In addition there were troopships, storeships, and hospital ships. Pocock took this great fleet of about 180 sail through the dangerous Old Straits of Bahama, from Jamaica, to take Havana by surprise.
This painting comes towards the end of the chronological sequence of the series, once Havana has been captured and occupied by the British. The focus of the composition is the magnificent late colonial Baroque architecture of the church of San Francisco de Asís. Despite the received title of the painting, this was not the cathedral of Havana, but a monastic church dating from the 1730s. Serres treats the subject in the conventional manner of a European topographical cityscape, but inserts conspicuous details indicating the context of conflict and the colonial setting. So, red-coated troops exercise in the square, and a sentry stands guard outside his box, across from black-robed figures of Spanish Catholic clerics and alongside a group of self-absorbed boys at play. On the far side of the square another red-coated European strides with his parasol to protect him from the burning tropical sun, while in the harbour beyond the dome of the church sit British warships at anchor.
Date
between 1770 and 1775
date QS:P571,+1770-00-00T00:00:00Z/8,P1319,+1770-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1775-00-00T00:00:00Z/9
medium QS:P186,Q296955;P186,Q12321255,P518,Q861259
Dimensions
height: 83.5 cm (32.8 in); width: 121.3 cm (47.7 in)
dimensions QS:P2048,83.5U174728
dimensions QS:P2049,121.3U174728
Object history
Painted for General George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle (1724–1772) or his brother, Admiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel (1725–1786), and thence by inheritance to the last owners. sold at Sotheby's, London, 06 July 2016, lot 44
Exhibition history
On long term loan to the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, 1948 to 2015, accession number BHC0417
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== {{int:filedesc}} == {{Artwork |artist = {{Creator:Dominic Serres}} |title = ''The Cathedral at Havana, August-September 1762'' |description = {{en|This is one of a series of 11 painting completed by Serres for the Keppel famil
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