Elizabeth Thompson
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Southerden Thompson, Lady Butler (3 November 1846 – 2 October 1933) was a British
painter
, one of the few female painters to achieve fame for history painting
s, especially military battle scenes, at the end of that tradition. She was married to Lieutenant General Sir William Butler
.
and the Battle of Waterloo
. The Roll Call (purchased by Queen Victoria
), The Defence of Rorke's Drift, and Scotland Forever featuring the Scots Greys
(in Leeds
City Art Gallery) are among her better-known works. She wrote about her military paintings in an autobiography published in 1922: "I never painted for the glory of war, but to portray its pathos and heroism".
She was the daughter of Thomas James Thompson (1812–1881) and his second wife Christiana Weller (1825–1910). Her sister was the noted essayist and poet Alice Meynell
. Elizabeth began receiving art instruction in 1862, while growing up in Italy
. In 1866 she went to South Kensington
, London
and entered the Female School of Art
. She became a Roman Catholic along with the rest of the family after they moved to Florence
in 1869. While in Florence, under the tutelage of the artist Giuseppe Bellucci (1827–1882), Elizabeth attended the Accademia di Belle Arti. She signed her works as E.B.; Elizth. Thompson or Mimi Thompson (she was called "Mimi" from her childhood).
Initially she concentrated on religious subjects like The Magnificat (1872), but upon going to Paris
in 1870 she was exposed to battle scenes from Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier and Édouard Detaille
, and switched her focus to war paintings. With the painting Missing (1873) a Franco-Prussian War
battle scene, depicting the common soldiers' suffering and heroism, she earned her first submission to the Royal Academy
. After The Roll Call was shown in 1874 at the Academy, she became a nineteenth century celebrity, due to the paintings' immense popularity. As the paintings toured Europe, along with photographs of Elizabeth, she gained even more notice because people found out that she was both young and pretty, something normally not associated with painters of battle scenes. It also helped that during this time there was an incredible amount of Victorian
pride and romanticism for the growing British Empire
.
Her career and fame peaked with her 11 June 1877 marriage to Sir William Francis Butler
(1838–1910), a distinguished officer of the British Army
, from Tipperary
in Ireland
. Not only was she now married, breaking the heart of many young men, but now she would travel to the far reaches of the Empire
with her husband and raise their six children. During this time she also came under the influence of her Irish husband's beliefs that the colonial imperialism of Great Britain
and other European powers may not be in the best interest of the native people in far-off lands, but continued to paint scenes showing the valour of the ordinary British soldier.
Butler also did some black and white illustration, including of poems by her sister, Alice Meynell, and of works by Thackeray
.
On her husband's retirement from the army, she moved with him to Ireland
, where they lived at Bansha
Castle, County Tipperary
.
She showed pictures at the Royal Hibernian Academy
from 1892. Among the paintings that she took with her to Co. Tipperary was a set of water-colours that she had painted while with her husband in Palestine
. During the Irish Civil War
they were transferred to her daughter in Gormanston Castle for safe keeping, but were almost all destroyed later by German bombs in London during World War II
.
She was widowed in 1910, but continued to live at Bansha until 1922, when she took up residence with the youngest of her six children, Eileen, Viscountess Gormanston
, at Gormanston Castle, County Meath
. She died there shortly before her 87th birthday and was interred at nearby Stamullen graveyard.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, one of the few female painters to achieve fame for history painting
History painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by subject matter rather than an artistic style, depicting a moment in a narrative story, rather than a static subject such as a portrait...
s, especially military battle scenes, at the end of that tradition. She was married to Lieutenant General Sir William Butler
William Francis Butler
Lieutenant-General Sir William Francis Butler GCB PC was an Irish 19th-century British Army officer, writer, and adventurer.-Military career:...
.
Biography
Born at Villa Claremont in Lausanne, Switzerland, she specialized in painting scenes from British military campaigns and battles, including the Crimean WarCrimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
and the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. The Roll Call (purchased by Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
), The Defence of Rorke's Drift, and Scotland Forever featuring the Scots Greys
Scots Greys
The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
(in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
City Art Gallery) are among her better-known works. She wrote about her military paintings in an autobiography published in 1922: "I never painted for the glory of war, but to portray its pathos and heroism".
She was the daughter of Thomas James Thompson (1812–1881) and his second wife Christiana Weller (1825–1910). Her sister was the noted essayist and poet Alice Meynell
Alice Meynell
Alice Christiana Gertrude Thompson Meynell was an English writer, editor, critic, and suffragist, now remembered mainly as a poet.-Biography:...
. Elizabeth began receiving art instruction in 1862, while growing up in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In 1866 she went to South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and entered the Female School of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
. She became a Roman Catholic along with the rest of the family after they moved to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
in 1869. While in Florence, under the tutelage of the artist Giuseppe Bellucci (1827–1882), Elizabeth attended the Accademia di Belle Arti. She signed her works as E.B.; Elizth. Thompson or Mimi Thompson (she was called "Mimi" from her childhood).
Initially she concentrated on religious subjects like The Magnificat (1872), but upon going to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1870 she was exposed to battle scenes from Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier and Édouard Detaille
Édouard Detaille
Jean Baptiste Édouard Detaille , was a French Academic painter and military artist noted for his precision and realistic detail....
, and switched her focus to war paintings. With the painting Missing (1873) a Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
battle scene, depicting the common soldiers' suffering and heroism, she earned her first submission to the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
. After The Roll Call was shown in 1874 at the Academy, she became a nineteenth century celebrity, due to the paintings' immense popularity. As the paintings toured Europe, along with photographs of Elizabeth, she gained even more notice because people found out that she was both young and pretty, something normally not associated with painters of battle scenes. It also helped that during this time there was an incredible amount of Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
pride and romanticism for the growing British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
.
Her career and fame peaked with her 11 June 1877 marriage to Sir William Francis Butler
William Francis Butler
Lieutenant-General Sir William Francis Butler GCB PC was an Irish 19th-century British Army officer, writer, and adventurer.-Military career:...
(1838–1910), a distinguished officer of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, from Tipperary
Tipperary
Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Not only was she now married, breaking the heart of many young men, but now she would travel to the far reaches of the Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
with her husband and raise their six children. During this time she also came under the influence of her Irish husband's beliefs that the colonial imperialism of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and other European powers may not be in the best interest of the native people in far-off lands, but continued to paint scenes showing the valour of the ordinary British soldier.
Butler also did some black and white illustration, including of poems by her sister, Alice Meynell, and of works by Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
.
On her husband's retirement from the army, she moved with him to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, where they lived at Bansha
Bansha
Bansha is a village in the barony of Clanwilliam, South Tipperary in Ireland. The village is part of the parish of "Bansha and Kilmoyler" in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. Bansha is co-extensive with the pre-Reformation parish of Templeneiry of which the townland name of...
Castle, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
.
She showed pictures at the Royal Hibernian Academy
Royal Hibernian Academy
The Royal Hibernian Academy is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823.-History:The RHA was founded as the result of 30 Irish artists petitioning the government for a charter of incorporation...
from 1892. Among the paintings that she took with her to Co. Tipperary was a set of water-colours that she had painted while with her husband in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. During the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
they were transferred to her daughter in Gormanston Castle for safe keeping, but were almost all destroyed later by German bombs in London during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
She was widowed in 1910, but continued to live at Bansha until 1922, when she took up residence with the youngest of her six children, Eileen, Viscountess Gormanston
Viscount Gormanston
Viscount Gormanston is a title in the Peerage of Ireland held by the head of the Preston family. It was created in 1478. The holder is the senior Viscount of Ireland, as well as the bearer of the oldest vicomital title in either Britain or Ireland. The Preston family descends from Sir Robert...
, at Gormanston Castle, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
. She died there shortly before her 87th birthday and was interred at nearby Stamullen graveyard.
Paintings
- The Magnificat (1872)
- Missing (1873)
- Calling the Roll After An Engagement, Crimea (or The Roll Call (1874) - H.M. The Queen; Buckingham PalaceBuckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
) - The 28th Regiment at Quatre BrasThe 28th Regiment at Quatre BrasThe 28th Regiment at Quatre Bras is an oil painting on canvas from 1875, painted by Elizabeth Thompson . The painting is long and tall. It is located in the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia....
(1875 – National Gallery of VictoriaNational Gallery of VictoriaThe National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
, MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
) - Balaclava (1876 – City of Manchester Art GalleryManchester Art GalleryManchester Art Gallery is a publicly-owned art gallery in Manchester, England. It was formerly known as Manchester City Art Gallery.The gallery was opened in 1824 and today occupies three buildings, the oldest of which - designed by Sir Charles Barry - is Grade I listed and was originally home to...
) - Missed (1876)
- The Return from Inkerman (1877 - Ferens Art Gallery, Kingston upon HullKingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
) - The Remnants of an ArmyWilliam BrydonWilliam Brydon CB was an assistant surgeon in the British East India Company Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War and is famous for being the only member of an army of 4,500 men to reach safety in Jalalabad at the end of the long retreat from Kabul.He was born in London of Scottish descent...
(1879 – Tate GalleryTate GalleryThe Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
) - Listed for the Connaught Rangers (1879 – BuryBuryBury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
Art Gallery) - The Defence of Rorke's Drift (1880 - H.M The Queen; Windsor CastleWindsor CastleWindsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
) - Scotland Forever!Scotland Forever!Scotland Forever! is an 1881 painting by Lady Butler depicting the start of the charge by the Royal Scots Greys at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. In actuality, it appears that Scots Greys never started the charge at a gallop, due to the broken ground, and instead advanced at a quick walk...
(1881 – Leeds City Art GalleryLeeds Art GalleryLeeds Art Gallery in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England is a museum whose collection of 20th century British Art is recognised by the British government as a collection "of national importance". Its collection also includes 19th century and earlier art works. The gallery opened on 3 October 1888 as...
) - Tel-el-Kebir (1885)
- To the Front: French Cavalry Leaving a Breton City on the Declaration of War (1888-9 - Private Collection)
- Evicted (1890 - The Irish Folklore Commission University College DublinUniversity College DublinUniversity College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
) - The Camel Corps (1891)
- Halt in a Forced March (1892 - Shropshire Military Museum, ShrewsburyShrewsburyShrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
) - The Rescue of the Wounded (1895)
- The Dawn of Waterloo (1895 - Falkland PalaceFalkland PalaceFalkland Palace in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a former royal palace of the Scottish Kings. Today it is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, and serves as a tourist attraction.-Early years:...
) - Steady the Drums and Fifes (1897 - H.M. The Queen; 57th Regiment, The Middlesex)
- Floreat Etona (1898 - Private Collection)
- Dawn at Waterloo (1898 - Private Collection)
- The Morning of Talavera (1898)
- The Colours: Advance of the Scots Guards at the Alma (1899 - Scots GuardsScots GuardsThe Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
) - Within Sound of Guns (1903 - painted at Bansha Castle; Staff College, CamberleyStaff College, CamberleyStaff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
) - Stand Fast Craigellachie (1903 - National War Museum Scotland)
- Rescue of Wounded, Afghanistan (1905 - Staff College, CamberleyStaff College, CamberleyStaff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
) - In vain! Rally for a last charge of the Cuirassiers (1912-Private Collection)
- The 16th Light Dragoons saving the remnants of the Union Brigade (1915-Private Collection)
- On the Morrow of Talavera (1923 - Private Collection)
- The Dorset Yeoman at Agagia, 26th Feb. 1916 (1917 - DorsetDorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
County Council) - A Lament in the Desert (1925 - Private Collection)
- In the Retreat from Mons: The Royal Horse Guards (1927 - Royal Hospital, Chelsea)
- A Detachment of Cavalry in Flanders (1929 - Private Collection)
Works by
- Letters from the Holy Land (London: A & C Black, 1903).
- From Sketch-book and Diary (London: A & C Black, 1909)
- An Autobiography (London: Constable & Co., Ltd., 1923).
- Autobiography (Sevenoaks: Fisher Press, 1993). ISBN 1874037086
Works about
- Fillimore, Francis. - "Britain's Battle Painter: Lady Butler and Her Art". - New England Home Magazine. - Vol. XII, No. 13, September 1900, pp. 579–587 (also published in Windsor Magazine. - Vol. XI, December 1899-May 1900, pp. 643–652)
- Gormanston, Eileen. (1953). - A Little Kept. - New York: Sheed and Ward
- Harrington, Peter. (1993). - British Artists and War: The Face of Battle in Paintings and Prints, 1700-1914. - London: Greenhill. - ISBN 1853671576
- Lalumia, Matthew Paul. - "Lady Elizabeth Thompson Butler in the 1870's". - Women's Art Journal. - Vol. 4, No. 1, Spring-Summer 1983, pp. 9–14
- Lee, Michael. - "A Centenary of Military Painting". - Army Quarterly. - October 1967
- Meynell, Wilfrid. (1898). - The Life and Work of Lady Butler. - London: The Art Annual
- O'Byrne, M. K. - "Lady Butler". - Irish Monthly. - December 1950
- Usherwood, Paul. - "Elizabeth Thompson Butler: a case of tokenism." - Women's Art Journal. - Vol. 11, Fall-Winter 1990-91, 14-15
- Usherwood, Paul, and Jenny Spencer-Smith, (1987). - Lady Butler, Battle Artist, 1846-1933. - Gloucester: Sutton. - ISBN 0862993555
- Walker, J. Crompton. (1927). - Irish Life & Landscape. - Dublin: Talbot Press
- Irish Arts Review. - "The Royal Scottish Academy Exhibitors 1826-1990". - Volume 4 Number 4: Winter 1987. (Calne 1991)