, 2008. Fibreglass stone and airplane. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Purchased 2011. Photo © Roman März](/images/content/menuSeeGallery.png)
Benjamin West
The Death of General Wolfe (Detail), 1770
oil on canvas
152.6 x 214.5 cm
Transfer from the Canadian War Memorials, 1921 (Gift of the 2nd Duke of Westminster, England, 1918)
National Gallery of Canada (no. 8007)
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A Young Cavalier Executing a Levade in the Presence of Mars and Mercury, c. 1645
Jacob Jordaens
Flemish, 1593
- 1678
oil on canvas
96 x 153 cm
Purchased 1965
National Gallery of Canada (no. 14810)
This painting was the "modello" - a work presented to patrons prior to receiving a commission - for a tapestry in a series on horsemanship. The cavalier performs a levade, where the horse must support its weight on its hindquarters and hold the position for several seconds. According to astrological theories of the time, the planets influenced the character, form, and colour of horses. The gods, after whom the planets were named, govern the horses here: Mars, dressed in armour, watches the performance of the proud chestnut; Mercury, holding the caduceus, the wand with serpents, minds the vigorous, white horse; and Neptune, the creator and patron of the horse, appears as a statue, trident in hand, on the façade of the building.
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The High Priest Refusing Joachim's Offering
As the Old Sing, So the Young Pipe
Design for a Wall Decoration
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