The Capture of the 'Nuestra Señora de Cavadonga' by the 'Centurion', 20 June 1743
Samuel Scott·1745
Historical Context
The capture of the Nuestra Senora de Cavadonga by HMS Centurion on 20 June 1743 was the climactic prize of Anson's circumnavigation, when his single surviving ship intercepted the Manila galleon carrying treasure worth over half a million pounds. The fortune in silver transformed Anson from a commodore to one of Britain's wealthiest men and funded his later career as First Lord of the Admiralty. Scott occupied a unique position in Georgian Britain as the painter best equipped to commemorate naval victories with both artistic distinction and technical accuracy.
Technical Analysis
The single-ship action allows Scott to render both vessels in careful detail, the larger Spanish galleon and the British fourth-rate depicted with meticulous attention to their contrasting hull forms and rigging configurations.
