Study for the "Attack on Copenhagen"

Art Historical Context

This preparatory drawing by British artist Edward Francis Burney captures the intensity of a naval confrontation through its dynamic arrangement of ships, boats, and human figures. Created between 1801 and 1802, the sheet serves as a study for a larger composition titled “Attack on Copenhagen,” reflecting the era’s fascination with contemporary military events and maritime power. Burney employs a combination of black chalk, pen and brown ink, and gray wash to build depth and movement across the composition. The loose yet deliberate strokes allow him to explore positioning and gesture, giving the scene a sense of urgency and scale despite the modest size of the sheet. As a work on paper from the Drawings and Prints department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this study offers visitors a glimpse into the artist’s working process and the visual storytelling of early nineteenth-century battle imagery.

About the Artist

Edward Francis Burney · 1760–1848

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