Admiral George Dewey
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; bequest of Frederick McLean Bugher
Accession Number
NPG.86.144
Tags
GloveMilitaryRingCaneLandscapeGeorge Dewey: MaleAdmiralPortraitStar
About this artwork
On May 1, 1898, the first shots of the War of 1898 rang out under the command of Commodore George Dewey. Six U.S. war ships stationed in Hong Kong, known as the Asiatic Squadron, destroyed the Spanish flotilla harbored in Manila Bay while suffering few casualties of their own. After the Battle of Manila Bay, Dewey became a much-heralded celebrity and was promoted to admiral. From 1899 until his death in 1917, he held a powerful leadership position as president of the General Board of the Navy De...