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Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry Reverse Painting on Glass

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:1,500.00 USD Estimated At:3,000.00 - 4,000.00 USD
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry Reverse Painting on Glass
War of 1812
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry Reverse Painting on Glass
War of 1812 Era, Reverse Painting on Period Beveled Glass, Naval Officer Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819) Silhouette Portrait, Original Period Frame, Extremely Fine.
This portrait depicts the American naval officer Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819), popularly known as the Hero of Lake Erie, for his role in achieving a decisive victory against the British at the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. The battle, fought on September 10, 1813, off the coast of Ohio, resulted in the capture of six British ships and ensured American control of the lake for the remainder of the war. After the battle, Perry wrote to General William Henry Harrison (1773-1841), later ninth president of the United States, informing him of the victory with the now famous words, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.”

This Oval Reverse Painting on Glass measures about 2.5” x 3”, within its custom original period framed to 4.75” x 5.5” with its original decorative brass hanger Loop fully intact at top to hang on display. The Portrait image shows a silhouette of Naval Officer Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry shown somewhat older in age. It is well executed, the Hand-painting having bright Gilt highlights on his military uniform and epaulettes. Only some trivial wear to the black paint of the uniform near the bottom edge, overall excellent in its eye appeal. No date, place or artist present. In review of this original artwork the back was opened so photography could be accomplished showing the inside of the painted glass. One backing was trimmed to oval shape from an authentic period playing card. This Silhouette Portrait was obviously created by a talented American artist in tribute to Commodore Perry, a national naval military hero at the time. Our research shows a “striking” resemblance of this portrait as compared to the likeness displayed on his Congressional Gold Medal.

On January 6, 1814, Perry was honored with a Congressional Gold Medal, the Thanks of Congress, and a promotion to the rank of Captain. This was one of 27 Gold Medals authorized by Congress arising from the War of 1812. Obverse – bust of Perry facing right surrounded by the engraved text: “Oliverus H. Perry Princeps Stagno Eriense. ~ Classam Totam Contudit.” The Reverse depicts a sea battle scene with (translated from Latin) inscriptions: “Valor finds or makes a way. Between the Fleets of America and Britain September 10, 1813.” Also, in recognition of his victory at Lake Erie, in 1813 Perry was elected as an honorary member of the New York Society of the Cincinnati.


In May 1814, Oliver Hazard Perry took command of a squadron of seven gunboats based in Newport. He held this command for only two months as in July he was placed in command of USS Java, a 44-gun frigate which was under construction in Baltimore. While overseeing the outfitting of Java, Perry participated in the defenses of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., during the British invasion of the Chesapeake Bay.

In a twist of irony, these land battles would be the last time the career naval officer saw combat. The Treaty of Ghent was signed before Java could be put to sea.

For Perry, the post-war years were marred by controversies. In 1815, he commanded Java in the Mediterranean during the Second Barbary War. While moored in Naples, Perry slapped the commander of the ship's Marines, Captain John Heath, whom Perry considered incompetent and insubordinate.

The ensuing court-martial found both men guilty, but levied only mild reprimands. After the crew returned home, Heath challenged Perry to a pistol duel, which was fought on October 19, 1817, on the same field in Weehawken, New Jersey where Aaron Burr shot and killed Alexander Hamilton. Heath fired first and missed. Perry declined to return fire, satisfying the Marine's honor.

Perry's return from the Mediterranean also reignited the feud with Elliott. After an exchange of angry letters, Elliott challenged Perry to a duel, which Perry refused. (While it was normally considered cowardly to refuse a duel, Perry's stature as a hero was such that no one doubted his physical courage and few felt that Perry had wrongly offended Elliott's honor.)

He instead, on August 8, 1818, filed formal court-martial charges against Elliott. Perry filed a total of six charges and twenty-one specifications including "conduct unbecoming an officer," and failure to "do his utmost to take or destroy the vessel of the enemy which it was his duty to encounter."

Wishing to avoid a scandal between two decorated naval heroes, Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson and President James Monroe suppressed the matter by offering Perry a diplomatic mission to South America in exchange for dropping his charges. This put an official end to the controversy, though it would continue to be debated for another quarter century.

In 1818 Perry purchased a large house on Washington Square in Newport which was built in 1750 for merchant Peter Buloid. The house remained in the Perry family until 1865 and now serves as an antique bookstore.

In 1819, Perry sailed for the Orinoco River, Venezuela, aboard of the frigate John Adams with the frigate Constellation and the schooner USS Nonsuch, arriving on July 15 to discourage piracy, while still maintaining friendly relations with Republic of Venezuela and the Republic of Buenos Aires. Shifting his flag to USS Nonsuch, due to its shallower draft, Perry sailed upriver to Angostura to negotiate an Anti-piracy agreement with President Simón Bolívar.

A favorable treaty was signed on August 11 with Vice-President Francisco Antonio Zea in the absence of Bolivar (who was engaged in the liberation of New Granada), but when the schooner started downriver, many of her crew, including Perry, had been stricken with yellow fever.

Despite the crew's efforts to reach Trinidad for medical assistance, the commodore died on board USS Nonsuch on August 23, 1819, his 34th birthday, as the ship entered the Gulf of Paria and was nearing Port of Spain. He was buried in Port of Spain with great honors while the Nonsuch's crew acted as honor guard.

His remains were later taken back to the United States in 1826 and interred in Newport, Rhode Island. Originally interred in the Old Common Burial Ground, his body was eventually moved to Newport's Island Cemetery.