French Firerafts Attacking the British Fleet off Quebec, 28 June 1759

Samuel Scott painted French Firerafts Attacking the British Fleet off Quebec around 1767, depicting the dramatic episode from the 1759 siege of Quebec when the French attempted to destroy the British fleet anchored in the St Lawrence River by sending fireships against them. The subject was topical history — Wolfe's victory at Quebec had occurred within living memory and remained a subject of national pride — and Scott's marine painting skills gave him the ability to render the nighttime drama of the fireship attack with both documentary detail and theatrical effect. The nocturnal fire on water was a subject perfectly suited to his combination of documentary and dramatic abilities.

Scott renders the night action with vivid contrasts between the blazing fire rafts and the dark river. The painting captures the chaos of the waterborne attack with attention to ship detail and the dramatic effects of firelight on water.