The Capture of the 'Nuestra Señora de Covadonga' by HMS 'Centurion', 20 June 1743

This version of the Centurion's capture of the Manila galleon, dated 1743, may be one of the earliest painted records of the action, produced while the news was still fresh and Anson's fame at its peak. The engagement off the Philippines was the culmination of one of the most extraordinary voyages in naval history, during which Anson lost over 1,300 men to scurvy and storms. Scott occupied a unique position in Georgian Britain as the painter best equipped to commemorate naval victories with both artistic distinction and technical accuracy. His battle paintings were sought by officers, naval administrators, and patriotic collectors who wanted their country's sea-power documented in compelling visual form.

Scott deploys the two ships in a broadside engagement, the smoke of their guns obscuring portions of the hulls while allowing clear depiction of the flag signals and rigging damage that narrate the battle's progress.