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A portrait of Gen. James Wolfe set against the Plains of Abraham at Quebec has sold to a Canadian collector for $635,000.
The painting sold earlier this week at Bonhams auction house in London.
Wolfe died on the Plains of Abraham in 1759, after defeating French troops led by Gen. Montcalm. He won the battle by leading his troops up the wooded cliffs at night and catching his opposition unprepared.
The portrait of Wolfe, attributed by Bonhams to the Circle of British painter Joseph Highmore, was created posthumously, probably between 1760 and 1780, the auction house said.
There is some doubt about the painter, as the British family who owned the work believed it was painted by Joshua Reynolds, another 18th century British painter who specialized in portraits. That family acquired it around 1850.
Highmore, who was known for his portraits and historical paintings, also created a portrait of Wolfe that is in the National Archives of Canada. There are similarities between that work and the portrait sold in London, Bonhams said.
It was acquired by a Canadian collector, who was not named.
Wolfe received much posthumous fame for his victory on the Plains of Abraham, which proved decisive in the Seven Years War between Britain and France as well as setting a new path for the development of Canada.
One of the most famous paintings of him done in the years after his death is Benjamin West's 1771 work, The Death of General Wolfe.
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