TOLEDO – The 200th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie – among the most famous naval
encounters of the War of 1812 and the first time a squadron of British ships had ever been captured –
will be commemorated with a special exhibition this fall at the Toledo Museum of Art."Perry’s
Victory: The Battle of Lake Erie," a free exhibition on view now through Nov. 10 in Galleries 28
and 29, features paintings, prints, sculpture, artifacts, letters and music on loan and from the
museum’s permanent collection.One of the prominent works on view will be the heroically scaled painting
Perry’s Victory on Lake Erie (1814) by Thomas Birch. The painting depicts the battle moments before the
British squadron surrenders to the victorious Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819) in the fall of
1813. The TMA exhibition marks a rare opportunity to see the painting so close to the actual battle
site.Historians often describe the War of 1812 as the Second War of Independence: a reaction to the
continuing British attacks on and seizures of American vessels and seamen, and the likely British role
in encouraging Native Americans’ anger in the northwestern frontier. Not only was the United States’
national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," inspired by the war, but victory over Britain
also confirmed the young nation’s sovereignty.Some of the most decisive events of the war on the
frontier were the naval battles, as command of the Great Lakes was critical for success in the
northwest.One of the most famous victories in American history was achieved at the Battle of Lake Erie
on Sept. 10, 1813 by the young Commodore Perry with the capture of a British fleet of six vessels,
giving control of the lake and its important transportation routes to the United States.The centennial
of this event was celebrated in 1913 with a major exhibition in the (then) recently completed Toledo
Museum of Art building on Monroe Street. Portraits, battle scenes and historical objects were brought
together to recognize the event. Yet as large as the exhibition was, a major painting depicting a
turning point in the battle-Perry’s Victory on Lake Erie by Birch-was not in the show.As part of the
bicentennial observation, TMA secured the loan of the painting from the collection of the Pennsylvania
Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. The outcome of the dramatic battle led to the Americans
reclaiming the lake and Perry becoming a hero.Another highlight of the 2013 exhibition is TMA’s striking
portrait of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (1818-28) by Gilbert and Jane Stuart.Admission to the museum
is free. Parking is free for members and $5 for nonmembers.For more information, visit
www.toledomuseum.org or call (419) 255-8000.
