<Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> October 6, 1879 (1879 - 10 - 06) (aged 56) </Td> </Tr> <P> William Henry Powell (February 14, 1823--October 6, 1879), was an American artist who was born and died in New York City . </P> <P> Powell is known for a painting of the Battle of Lake Erie, of which one copy hangs in the Ohio state capitol building and the other, in the United States Capitol . Powell has a second piece of artwork displayed in the United States Capitol Rotunda, the Discovery of the Mississippi by De Soto A.D. 1541 . </P> <P> William Henry Powell studied under artist Henry Inman in New York City prior to receiving a commission from the United States Congress in 1847 to paint the last large historical painting in the Capitol rotunda . Powell selected the discovery of the Mississippi River by Hernando de Soto as the subject of the painting and completed it in 1853 . Its positive reception nationwide lead to the Ohio legislature requesting that Powell paint Oliver Hazard Perry's victory in the War of 1812 . </P>

Engraving of a painting by william henry powell