  About the Artwork
  
  
  This painting depicts a scene from English history during the fourteenth-century siege at the French port of Calais by the English King Edward III. Dressed in white, Queen Philippa stands next to the armor-clad king with a hand outstretched toward several prisoners — the burghers, or leading citizens, of Calais. The burghers surrendered themselves to Edward, who promised to spare the populace of the city in exchange for their lives. Philippa intervened on their behalf, convincing the king to spare them in honor of their bravery and sacrifice.

American painter Benjamin West created two versions of this subject following a commission from British King George III. Since Edward III transformed the fortification at Windsor into a grand Gothic palace, the later king thought, “the achievements of his splendid reign [. . .] would prove very suitable ornaments to the halls and chambers of that venerable edifice.” West exhibited this version of the subject at the Royal Academy in 1788, and in 1789, completed a second version (Royal Collection Trust) for the Audience Chamber at Windsor.
  
  
  Title
  Queen Philippa Interceding for the Lives of the Burghers of Calais
  
  
  Artwork Date
  1788
  
  Artist
  Benjamin West
  
  
  
  Life Dates
  1738-1820
  
  
  
  
  Nationality
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events.
  Some definitions include:
  Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation.
  
  
  
  American
  
  
  
  Culture
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group.
  
  
  
  
  ----------
  
  
  Medium
  Oil on canvas
  
  
  Dimensions
  Unframed: 39 1/2 x 52 1/4 inches (100.3 x 132.7 cm)
  Framed: 47 1/2 x 59 7/8 x 3 inches (120.7 x 152.1 x 7.6 cm)
  
  
  Classification
  Paintings
  
  
  Department
  American Art before 1950
  
  
  Credit
  Gift of James E. Scripps
  
  
  
  Accession Number
  
  
  
  This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection.
  Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings.
  For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  89.73
  
  
  Copyright
  ----------
