Battle of Santiago de Cuba
July 3, 1898
Accession number:
1903.03
Maker:
Alfonso Sanz
Historical period:
1899
Miltary branch:
Navy
Wars and Conflicts:
Spanish-American War
Type:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
H x W: 39 in. / 79 in.
Acquisition date:
1903
Credit line:
Gift of George J. Seabury
Location:
Daiquiri Lounge, Second Floor, U.S. Embassy in Thailand
Provenance:
From 1903: The Army and Navy Club, gift of George J. Seabury
Label:
The Battle of Manila Bay, depicted in the adjacent painting, was the first major engagement of the Spanish-American War. The Battle of Santiago de Cuba was effectively the last. It was here that the U.S. Navy decisively defeated Spanish forces, sealing American victory in the War and achieving nominal independence for Cuba from Spanish rule.
This painting, by captured Spanish naval medical officer Alfonso Sanz, depicts the attempted breakout of the Spanish fleet from the U.S. Navy-blockaded harbor as U.S. ground forces drove toward Santiago. The battle ended any significant Spanish naval presence in the Western Hemisphere.