Perspective view of entring the breach of the Moro Castle, by storm the 30th of July 1762, … Published by Robert Wilkinson and Robert Sayer c. 1780.

Original 18th-century military print titled “Perspective view of entring the breach of the Moro Castle, by storm the 30th of July 1762”.

The original painting was byDominic Serres, a celebrated marine painter to King George II, and the engraver wasPierre-Charles Canot (ca. 1710–1777), a highly skilled French-born engraver who spent most of his career working in London.
The head of the print bears a formal dedication “To the Honble. Willm. Keppel”. Major-General William Keppel was the British officer who directly commanded the successful storming of the fortress during the Siege of Havana in the Seven Years’ War.

The background depicts the formidable stone walls of Morro Castle (El Morro) sitting on the rocky cliffs at the entrance of Havana Harbor, Cuba. British forces successfully detonated a massive mine beneath the fortress walls, creating the “cliff collapse” rubble breach seen in the print.

In the foreground, the large British warship HMS Alcide stands guard alongside an extensive fleet of numerous longboats filled with infantrymen rowing aggressively toward the rocks to reinforce the breach.

This print is Plate 9 of a 12-part set documenting the British capture of Cuba.

The print has been trimmed close to the plate mark but the image is unaffected. There is a small, repaired tear at the top middle.