"The Death of General Wolfe" Engraving by William Woollett, after Benjamin West, 1776

Presented is one of the most important historical prints ever published, "The Death of General Wolfe," an engraving by William Woollett, after the painting of the same title by Benjamin West. The engraving was published in London by Woollett, Boydell, and Ryland, on January 1, 1776.  Benjamin West’s oil painting “The Death of General Wolfe” depicts the Battle of Quebec, a pivotal event in the Seven Years' War that decided the fate of France's colonies in North America and signaled Britain's ascendency in North America. The battle was fought between the British and French Armies on the Plains of Abraham, a plateau east of Quebec City, on September 13, 1759. The culmination of a three-month siege by the British, the battle lasted only about an hour. Commanded by Major-General James Wolfe, the British Army defeated the French forces under Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, yet General Wolfe was mortally wounded by several gunshots at the end of battle. To many, the victory in Quebec symbolized the