Lot 245
D. A. Cook (British?, active XIX-XX) after Elizabeth Southerden (Lady Butler) Thompson (1846-1933). "Scotland Forever" oil on canvas, n.d. Signed at lower right. A dynamic tribute to one of Britain's most iconic military paintings, this work reproduces Elizabeth Butler's celebrated 1881 composition "Scotland Forever," which immortalized the Royal Scots Greys' legendary charge at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The anonymous painter captures the same visceral energy that made Butler's original a sensation upon its exhibition at the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly, where it drew immense crowds and enduring fame. The scene surges forward with a rush of white horses and crimson-coated riders, sabers flashing against a storm-darkened sky. The central figure leads the charge, mouth open in a cry of valor, his regiment galloping into chaos and glory. Size of painting: 25.5" W x 13.5" H (64.8 cm x 34.3 cm); of frame: 30.5" W x 18.5" H (77.5 cm x 47 cm)
Although the true cavalry charge at Waterloo began at a walk over rough ground, Butler - and her followers - elevated the moment into myth, a vision of unstoppable momentum and national pride. This painting, likely executed in the late 19th or early 20th century, echoes Butler's masterful composition and patriotic fervor, while exhibiting its own textured brushwork and dramatic tonal contrasts. It stands as both homage and interpretation - one in a long lineage of works inspired by Butler's defiant assertion that she painted not for "the glory of war, but to portray its pathos and heroism."
About the artist: Elizabeth Southerden Thompson, later known as Lady Butler (1846-1933), was a pioneering British painter celebrated for her vivid depictions of military life. Renowned for works such as "The Roll Call" (purchased by Queen Victoria), "The Defence of Rorke's Drift," and "Scotland Forever!," she captured the courage and hardship of soldiers in the Crimean and Napoleonic Wars with striking realism. Educated in Italy and London, she drew early inspiration from the French battle painters Meissonier and Detaille, blending their precision with her own empathetic vision. In 1877 she married General Sir William Butler, accompanying him on postings throughout the British Empire and raising six children. Despite her success, she narrowly missed becoming the first female Associate of the Royal Academy, a milestone not achieved until 1922. Lady Butler's art rejected the glorification of war, aiming instead, as she wrote, "to portray its pathos and heroism." After her husband's retirement, she settled in Ireland, continuing to paint and exhibit until her final years at Gormanston Castle, County Meath, where she died in 1933.
Provenance: ex-private collection, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, USA, collected from 2010 to 2015
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#198234
- Condition: Signed "D.A. Cook" at lower right. Expected age wear to canvas. Some miniscule areas of retouching, as well as minor scuffs and surface grime, but, otherwise, painting is in very good condition. Mounted in custom frame with scuffs, nicks, chips, and staining to frame; none of which affect painting. Suspension wire on verso for display.
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