The Oath of Hannibal

The Oath of Hannibal
Artist	Benjamin West
Year	1770
Type	Oil on canvas, history painting
Dimensions	224.9 cm × 307.7 cm (88.5 in × 121.1 in)
Location	Royal Collection, London

The Oath of Hannibal is a 1770 history painting by the Anglo-American artist Benjamin West.^[1] It depicts the moment when the nine-year-old Hannibal is taken to a temple by his father Hamilcar Barca to swear an oath of eternal enmity to the Roman Republic.^[2]

West, later President of the Royal Academy, was known for history paintings featuring classical scenes as well as more modern works such as The Death of General Wolfe.

This and a companion piece The Departure of Regulus, also featuring a scene from the Punic Wars, were commissioned by George III to hang in Buckingham Palace. Painted at a cost of 400 guineas, it was exhibited at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition or 1771 ^[3] Along with his depictions of James Wolfe, it was one of the hits of the exhibition and led to further commissions from the king.^[4]

• Grossman, Lloyd. Benjamin West and the Struggle to be Modern. Merrell Publishers, 2015.
• Staiti, Paul. Of Arms and Artists: The American Revolution through Painters' Eyes. Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2016.

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