Oliver Hazard Perry

Art Historical Context

Behold the striking portrait print *Oliver Hazard Perry* by William Strickland, created around 1814 and housed in the Smithsonian American Art's National Portrait Gallery collection. This work captures the naval hero of the War of 1812, adorned with an epaulet signifying his rank and the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal awarded for his valor. As a print, it exemplifies early 19th-century reproductive techniques, likely engraving, which allowed widespread dissemination of heroic images in an era before photography. Perry's fame stems from his pivotal victory at the Battle of Lake Erie in S...