Robert Hopkins, Esqr. — Commodore of the American Sea Forces (Esek Hopkins)
London and Carlisle: R. Faulder and George P. Burd, 1780
Copperplate engraving — Frame: 9 x 6 1/8 inches; sight: 7 3/8 x 4 1/2 inches 
 
A finely executed Revolutionary War–period engraving depicting Esek Hopkins, the first and only Commander-in-Chief of the American Continental Navy. The print is captioned “Robert Hopkins, Esqr. Commodore of the American Sea Forces,” reflecting a contemporary misidentification of the naval officer’s given name. Hopkins is shown standing on a rocky shoreline in naval dress, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword while gesturing outward, with sailing vessels visible in the harbor beyond.
 
The engraving was published in An Impartial History of the War in America, Between Great Britain and Her Colonies (London and Carlisle, 1780), where it appeared on page 310. Produced for the British market during the conflict, such prints offered European audiences visual representations of prominent figures connected with the American war effort. Hopkins, appointed by the Continental Congress in 1775, commanded the fledgling Continental Navy in its earliest operations, including the expedition against New Providence in the Bahamas.
An appealing Revolutionary-era portrait engraving associated with one of the formative figures of the American naval tradition.
 
Condition: Excellent.