The Capture of Puerto Bello, Panama, 21 November 1739

The Capture of Puerto Bello on 21 November 1739 was the opening triumph of the War of Jenkins' Ear, when Vice Admiral Vernon seized the Spanish treasure port on the Isthmus of Panama with just six ships. The victory made Vernon a national hero — celebrations across Britain included naming the London street Portobello Road — and generated numerous commemorative paintings. 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 arranges the British ships in the tight confines of the harbor with careful attention to the tactical realities of the assault, the shore fortifications and Spanish vessels positioned to narrate the action's progress.