Oliver Hazard Perry

Art Historical Context

In the early 19th century, like George Delleker's * Hazard Perry* (c 1813) served as affordable, widely circulated portraits that celebrated American heroes during the War of 1812. Delleker, a young engraver active in Philadelphia from around 1805 to 1824, captured Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry in military attire—complete with epaulets,, a tie, and his Congressional Gold Medal. This engraving immortalizes Perry as a symbol of naval triumph, particularly his pivotal victory at the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, where his forces decisively defeated the British, securing U.S. control of the Great L...