“Not Yet Begun” Stretched Canvas Print - Our Story

Not Yet Begun — John Paul Jones

Hands of Providence Collection

On September 23, 1779, during the Battle of Flamborough Head, Captain John Paul Jones faced one of the most desperate naval engagements of the American Revolution. Commanding the Bonhomme Richard against the British warship HMS Serapis, Jones fought on even as his own ship was badly damaged and appeared close to defeat.

Not Yet Begun imagines Jones in the fierce stillness before that crisis—kneeling on the deck of the Bonhomme Richard, the lantern light at his side, the enemy ship looming across the water, and the fate of battle hanging in the balance.

The deck is slick with spray. Sailors move behind him in urgent preparation. Cannon stand ready. Yet in the midst of turmoil, Jones bows his head, reaching beyond courage alone for strength and resolve. The painting captures not the noise of battle, but the deeper source of endurance that steadied him before the fight was won.

The title draws from the words forever associated with him: “I have not yet begun to fight.” Whether shouted in defiance or remembered in later retelling, the phrase has become inseparable from Jones’s reputation for unyielding determination in the face of overwhelming odds.

Part of the Hands of Providence collection, Not Yet Begun reflects the faith woven throughout the American story—the moments when men and women faced circumstances larger than themselves and reached toward God for strength, wisdom, and guidance.

Historical Figure: John Paul Jones
Historical Moment: Battle of Flamborough Head, 1779
Collection: Hands of Providence

Product features
- Matte cotton-poly canvas with archival Greenguard Gold latex inks
- Stretched on renewable radiata pine inner frame
- Soft rubber dots and included back hanging for secure mounting
- Available in horizontal, vertical and square formats across many sizes
- Printed with non-toxic, non-flammable latex inks; slight size tolerance ±1/8"

Care instructions
- If the canvas does gather any dust, you may wipe it off gently with a clean, damp cloth.