Battle of Paoli

Xavier della Gatta’s painting captures the darkness and violence of the Battle of Paoli based on Richard Mansergh St. George’s eyewitness testimony. Della Gatta’s painting also incorporates uniform details seen in St. George’s wartime sketches, such as the short red jackets of the British light infantry and fringed hunting shirts worn by the American troops. St. George likely commissioned this painting to bring home to Ireland as a reminder of the horrors of war and the wounding of his friend Martin Hunter. 

Battle of Paoli
Xavier della Gatta
1782
Gouache on Paper
Museum of the American Revolution