USS Constitution vs. HMS Java
18" x 24" — oil on canvas
SOLD
The USS Constitution was built in Boston in 1797. She was one of the first ships built for the newly formed U.S. Navy. She carried 44 guns and a crew of more than 450 men. During the War of 1812, the Constitution won several important victories over the British, demonstrating that the new American Navy could stand up to the greatest sea power in the world. This painting depicts the Constitution’s victory over HMS Java, a frigate of 38 guns.
Constitution earned the nickname Old Ironsides when a sailor saw enemy cannonballs appear to bounce off of her thick wooden sides.