The Battle of Cherbourg was a single-ship action fought between a United States Navy warship, USS Kearsarge, and a Confederate States Navy warship, CSS Alabama, in 1864, off Cherbourg, France.Īfter several successful commerce raiding missions in the Atlantic Ocean, the CSS Alabama turned into Cherbourg Harbor on June 11, 1864. This picture was first displayed in the window of a print shop in Paris in July 1864, a month after the event, demonstrating Manet’s quick response to a sensational and recent news story. Kearsarge, which is mostly obscured from view by the smoke clouds. Smoke is rising from a direct hit to C.S.S. Alabama, the scourge of Union shipping, is shown sinking by her stern.

This painting was the first known seascape by Manet with his imaginative depiction of the naval battle fought off the coast of France. Manet relied on press descriptions of the battle and visits to Cherbourg to see the Kearsarge and compose this artwork.

Within one month of this battle, Manet had completed this painting, even though he had not witnessed the action himself. Many spectators were able to see the action from the coast of France and saw the USS Kearsarge sink CSS Alabama. The naval battle was between the Union cruiser USS Kearsarge and the Confederate raider CSS Alabama. “The Battle of the Kearsarge and the Alabama” by Édouard Manet commemorates the Battle of Cherbourg of 1864, which was a naval engagement of the American Civil War. “The Battle of the Kearsarge and the Alabama” by Édouard Manet

World of warships how to play alabama