Making the Exhibition

This is one of our recent exhibitions, The Battle of Jersey, which ran at the Jersey Museum and Art Gallery. The centrepiece is the painting by John Singleton Copley 'The Death of Major Peirson' which depicts the events of the 6th January 1781 which saw an abortive French invasion of the Island.  It shows the heroic death of Major Peirson who died repelling the attack. We see him here in the centre of the painting in Royal Square, St Helier.

With the Jersey Heritage team, we designed the Gallery space, project managed the exhibition and created a 7.1  surround sound drama to explain the battle, the events leading up to it and the aftermath. More.

Click above to hear the dramatic recreation of the Battle and the events surrounding the creation of the painting by John Singleton Copley.  

The Battle took place in the Royal Square in Jersey, still very much as it was on January 6th 1781:

For the first exhibition of The Death of Major Peirson, the artist John Copley rented the Great Room at Spring Gardens in Haymarket, London a popular venue for arts events. He charged an entrance fee of one shilling. In the drama we hear Copley opening the exhibition. The Morning Post and Daily Advertiser of Thursday May 13, 1784 advertised the show thus:

'...The picture painting for Mr. Alderman Boydell, Mr.Copley having almost compleated (sic), of the death of Major Peirson, and the defeat of the French troops in the Island of Jersey, most respectfully informs the public, that he intends to exhibit the said picture next week, in the Great Room in the Hay-market, No.28. The following week the newspaper elaborated EXHIBITION  MR COPLEY most respectfully informs the Public, that the Picture which he has painted for Mr. Alderman Boydell, of the death of Major Peirson, and the defeat of the French troops in the Island of Jersey in the year 1781 …will be exhibited on next Saturday morning, the 22nd May, in the Great Room in the Hay-market, No.28, where will be delivered an Explanation of the Picture, with the names of the officers whose portraits are contained within it: also Mr.Alderman Boydell’s proposals for publishing a print from the said picture.

Mr.Copley’s Picture of the late Earl of Chatham, and the House of Peers, will be placed in the same Great Room, for the fascination of those who have not seen it.

The Room will be open on Saturday morning, and at eight o’clock in the morning until evening of the succeeding days, except Sundays

 Admittance One Shilling each person: The Explanation gratis....'