The Burning of Payta, November 1741

The Burning of Payta in November 1741 shows Anson's forces putting the Peruvian port to the torch after looting it during his circumnavigation. The expedition, which had set out with six ships and 1,854 men, was reduced by disease and shipwreck to a single vessel by the time it reached the Pacific, making its victories against Spanish colonial towns all the more remarkable. Samuel Scott occupied the commanding position in British marine and topographical painting for three decades, filling the gap left by the death of the van de Veldes and not finally superseded until the emergence of Nicholas Pocock and J.M.W. Turner.

The nocturnal scene with its dramatic firelight reflected on water is unusual for Scott, who typically worked in the clear daylight of topographical painting. The burning town creates theatrical illumination that recalls Dutch maritime night scenes.