Royal Horse Artillery fleeing from Afghan attack at the Battle of Maiwand

Richard Caton Woodville Jr. (7 January 1856 – 17 August 1927) was an English artist and illustrator, who is best known for being one of the most prolific and effective painters of

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...

scenes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Biography

The son of Richard Caton Woodville Sr., an American who was also a talented artist, Woodville studied at the

Kunstakademie Düsseldorf The Kunstakademie Düsseldorf is the academy of fine arts of the state of North Rhine Westphalia at the city of Düsseldorf, Germany. Notable artists who studied or taught at the academy include Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Blinky Palermo, Ma ...

under the Prussian military painter

Wilhelm Camphausen Wilhelm Camphausen (8 February 1818, Düsseldorf16 June 1885, Düsseldorf), was a German Painting, painter who specialized in historical and battle scenes. Biography He studied under Alfred Rethel and Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow. As an historical ...

, and then

Eduard von Gebhardt Franz Karl Eduard von Gebhardt (13 June 1838 – 3 February 1925) was a Baltic German painter of portraits and historical scenes, and a professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Biography He was born to Ferdinand Theodor von Gebhardt (1803� ...

, both artists of the

Düsseldorf School of painting Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

, before briefly studying in Russia and then Paris under

Jean-Léon Gérôme Jean-Léon Gérôme (; 11 May 1824 – 10 January 1904) was a French painter and sculptor in the style now known as Academic painting, academicism. His paintings were so widely reproduced that he was "arguably the world's most famous living art ...

. Woodville spent most of his career working for the ''

Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'', founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. The magazine was published weekly for most of its existence, switched to a less freq ...

'', where he quickly developed a reputation as a talented reporter and writer, but was also published in ''

Cornhill Magazine ''The Cornhill Magazine'' (1860–1975) was a monthly Victorian literature, Victorian magazine and literary journal named after the street address of the founding publisher Smith, Elder & Co. at 65 Cornhill, London, Cornhill in London.Laurel ...

'', ''

Strand Magazine ''The Strand Magazine'' was a monthly British magazine founded by George Newnes, composed of short fiction and general interest articles. It was published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950, running to 711 issues, though the ...

'', and ''

The Tatler ''Tatler'' (stylised in all caps) is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. It focuses on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper and upper-middle cla ...

''. Richard Caton Woodville first experienced battle first-hand when he was sent by the ''Illustrated London News'' to report upon the

Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) The Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) was a conflict between the Ottoman Empire and a coalition led by the Russian Empire which included United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, Romania, Principality of Serbia, Serbia, and Principality of ...

, and then again in the

1882 Anglo-Egyptian War The British conquest of Egypt, also known as the Anglo-Egyptian War (), occurred in 1882 between Egyptian and Sudanese forces under Ahmed ‘Urabi and the United Kingdom. It ended a nationalist uprising against the Khedive Tewfik Pasha. It e ...

, where he made numerous sketches in December 1882, and also obtained photographs of the trenches at Tel-e-Kebir for his friend and co-artist

Alphonse-Marie-Adolphe de Neuville Alphonse-Marie-Adolphe de Neuville (; 31 May 183518 May 1885) was a French academic painter who studied under Eugène Delacroix. His dramatic and intensely patriotic subjects illustrated episodes from the Franco-Prussian War, the Crimean War, the ...

, who had been commissioned to paint a scene of the battle. In 1879, Woodville's ''Before Leuthen, 3 December 1757'' was exhibited in the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

. It proved popular, and afterwards he began to regularly be exhibited in

Burlington House Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in Mayfair, London. It was originally a private English Baroque and then Neo-Palladian mansion owned by the Earl of Burlington, Earls of Burlington. It was significantly expanded in the mid-19th cent ...

, where 21 of his battle paintings were eventually shown. His most popular works there were ones that dealt with contemporary wars, such as the

Second Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the latter was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dy ...

, ''Candahar'' ic and ''Maiwand: Saving the Guns'', (

Walker Art Gallery The Walker Art Gallery is an art gallery in Liverpool, which houses one of the largest art collections in England outside London. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool group. History The Walker Art Gallery's collection dates from 1819 ...

), the

Zulu War The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in present-day South Africa from January to early July 1879 between forces of the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Two famous battles of the war were the Zulu victory at Isandlwana and the British defence at ...

, and the

First Boer War The First Boer War (, ), was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881 between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and Boers of the Transvaal (as the South African Republic was known while under British ad ...

. His works from

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

were exhibited at the

Fine Art Society The Fine Art Society is a gallery based in both London and in Edinburgh's New Town (originally Bourne Fine Art, established 1978). The New Bond Street, London gallery closed its doors in August 2018 after being occupied by The Fine Art Society ...

in 1883, where his painting ''The Moonlight Charge at Kassassin'' proved very popular. The following year he exhibited by Royal Command another painting he had done of the war in Egypt, entitled ''The Guards at Tel-e-Kebir'' (

Royal Collection The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world. Spread among 13 occupied and historic List of British royal residences, royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King ...

). In 1896 he designed the reverse of the

British South Africa Company Medal The British South Africa Company Medal (1890–97). In 1896, Queen Victoria sanctioned the issue by the British South Africa Company of a medal to troops who had been engaged in the First Matabele War. In 1897, the award was extended to those eng ...

. He continued to paint scenes of battle, and few battles or wars that Great Britain fought during his life were not touched upon by him, including the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

, and

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Despite his precocious talent for capturing the dramatic moments of contemporary battles, Woodville also enjoyed recreating historical scenes in both

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

and

watercolour Watercolor (American English) or watercolour ( Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting method"Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to the ...

. The ''

'' commissioned him to complete a commemorative special series recreating the most famous British battles of history. He depicted ''The Charge of the Light Brigade'' (

Palacio Real de Madrid The Royal Palace of Madrid () is the official residence of the Spanish royal family at the city of Madrid, although now used only for state ceremonies. The palace has of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the largest royal palace in Eu ...

) and ''The Charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman'' (

), ''Battle of Blenheim'', ''Battle of Badajos'' and several ''Battle of Waterloo'' pictures. During World War I, Woodville was compelled to return to the depiction of current events, and three of his Great War works were displayed in the

. These were ''The 2nd Batt. Manchester Regiment taking six guns at dawn near St. Quentin'', ''Entry of the 5th Lancers into Mons'', and ''Halloween, 1914: Stand of the London Scottish on Messines Ridge'' (

London Scottish Regiment The London Scottish was a Army Reserve (United Kingdom), reserve infantry regiment then a Company (military unit), company of the British Army. In its final incarnation it was A (The London Scottish) Company, the London Regiment (1993), Londo ...

Museum Trust) exhibited in the year of his death, 1927. During his lifetime, Woodville enjoyed great popularity and was probably considered the best artist of his genre. He wrote as well as painted, and was often the subject of magazine and journal articles. He had a deep passion for the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

and had even joined the

Berkshire Yeomanry The Berkshire Yeomanry was a part time regiment of the British Army formed in 1794 to counter the threat of invasion during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was the Royal County of Berkshire's senior volunteer unit with over 200 years of volunt ...

in 1879, staying with them until 1914 when he joined the National Reserve as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. He married Annie Elizabeth Hill in 1877 and had twin sons, actor Anthony Caton Woodville and painter William Passenham Caton Woodville, in 1884. His wife sued him for divorce in 1892. In spite of his success, Caton Woodville suffered financial problems, and was declared bankrupt in 1905.

Death and legacy

On 17 August 1927, Woodville was found shot at his studio at

St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden and the City of Westminster, London, England, about 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Historically the northern part of the Civil Parish#An ...

; a revolver was also found. An inquest determined that he was of unsound mind when he committed suicide. Caton Woodville died effectively destitute and his grave (No 10112 in the old section of

St Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green St Mary's Catholic Cemetery is located on Harrow Road, Kensal Green in London, England. It has its own Catholic chapel. The cemetery, founded in 1858, is the resting place of over 165,000 Roman Catholics. The 29-acre cemetery has memorials fo ...

) was not marked at the time of his death. In September 2013 a headstone, commissioned by his great-grandson, was placed on the grave.''Soldier's Small Book'' (newsletter of the Victorian Military Society) October/November 2013 Richard Caton Woodville is still exhibited in the

National Army Museum The National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the " Chelsea Pensioners". The museum is a non-departmental public bod ...

, the

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

, and the Royal Academy.

Paintings (by date)

*''Before Leuthen, 3 December 1757'' (1879 – Private Collection) *''Turkish Reconnoitring Party in Balkans'' (Russo-Turkish War) (1878 – Private Collection) *''Candahar: The 92nd Highlanders & 2nd Goorkhas storming Gaudi Mullah Sahabdad'', (1881 – Private Collection) *''Cruel To Be Kind'', (1882 –

) *''The Moonlight Charge at Kassassin'' (1883) *''Maiwand: Saving the Guns'' (1883 –

) *''In the Nick of Time'', (1883 – Private Collection) *''The Guards at Tel-e-Kebir'' (1885 –

) *''The Late Commander Wyatt-Rawson, R.N., killed at Tel-el-Kebir, 13 September 1882'', (1885 –

Royal Naval College, Greenwich The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equi ...

) *''Saladin's Cavalry Charging the Crusaders'' (1892 –

Okehampton Town Hall Okehampton Town Hall is a municipal building in Fore Street, Okehampton, Devon, England. The town hall, which is the meeting place of Okehampton Town Council, is a Grade II* listed building. History The first municipal building in the town was ...

) *''Napolean and His Marshals Watching a Battle'' (1892 –

) *''A Cavalry Charge'' (1892 –

) *''The Charge of the Light Brigade'' (1894 –

) *''Waterloo: The Old Guard'', (

) *''The Storming of the Great Redoubt at the Battle of the Alma'', (1896 –

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarchy; due to this, it often ...

) *''The Relief of the Light Brigade'', (1897 –

) *''A Gentleman in Khaki'', (1899, to promote the charitable efforts of ''

The Absent-Minded Beggar "The Absent-Minded Beggar" is an 1899 poem by Rudyard Kipling, set to music by Sir Arthur Sullivan and often accompanied by an illustration of a wounded but defiant British soldier, "A Gentleman in Kharki", by Richard Caton Woodville Jr. The so ...

'') *''Life Guards charging at the Battle of Waterloo'', (1899 – Private Collection) *''Gordon's Memorial Service at His Ruined Palace in Khartoum, the Day after The Battle of Omdurman'', (1899 –

) *''The Dawn of Majuba'', (1900 – The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum,

London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

) *''French Hussards fording a River'', (1901 – Private Collection) *''Lindlay: Whitsunday, 1900'' (Church service on the veldt), (1901 – 5th Battalion,

Royal Green Jackets The Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division (the other being The Light Infantry). History The Royal Green Jackets was formed on 1 January 1966 by the amalgam ...

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

) *''All that was left of them'', (1902 –

17th/21st Lancers The 17th/21st Lancers was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in England by the amalgamation of the 17th Lancers and the 21st Lancers in 1922 and, after service in the World War II, Second W ...

Museum,

Belvoir Castle Belvoir Castle ( ) is a faux historic castle and stately home in Leicestershire, England, situated west of the town of Grantham and northeast of Melton Mowbray. A castle was first built on the site immediately after the Norman Conquest of 10 ...

) *''Scotland Yet! On to Victory'' (Scots Greys at Waterloo), (1904 –

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) is a light Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. The regiment, through the Royal Scots Greys, is the oldest survivi ...

) *''At the Trumpet's Call'' (Marston Moor), (1904 – Private Collection) *''General Wolfe Climbing the Heights of Abraham on the Morning of the Battle of Quebec'', (1906 –

) *''The Returning Orderly'', (1908 – Williamson Art Gallery,

Birkenhead Birkenhead () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. It lies within the Historic counties of England, historic co ...

) *''Napoleon before Wagram'', (1909 – Private Collection) *''Sic Transit Gloria Mundi'' (Retreat from Moscow), (1911 – Private Collection) *''Napoleon Crossing the Bridge to Lobau Island'', (1912 –

) *''Poniatowski's Last Charge at Leipzig'', (1912 –

) *''Napoleon conferring the Legion D'Honneur on a Russian General, 1804'', (1912 – Private Collection) *''Drawn Sabres: Napoleon's Guards at the Battle of Wagram'',

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

*''A Narrow Shave! Dragoon in Napoleon's Army 1810'' (Private Collection) *''Marshal Ney at Eylau'', (1913 –

) *''The First VC of the European War'', (1914 –

) *''The Last Call'' (Trumpeter falling at Charge of Light Brigade), (1915 – The Queen's Royal Hussars) *''The Piper of Loos'', (

King's Own Scottish Borderers The King's Own Scottish Borderers (KOSBs) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division. On 28 March 2006 the regiment was amalgamated with the Royal Scots, the Royal Highland Fusiliers, Royal Highland Fusiliers ...

Regimental Association) *''The Battle of the Somme'', (1917 – Guards Museum) *''The 2nd Batt. Manchester Regiment taking six guns at dawn near St. Quentin'', (1918 –

Duke of Lancaster's Regiment The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) (LANCS) is an infantry regiment of the line within the British Army, part of the King's Division. Headquartered in Preston, it recruits throughout the North West of England. The ...

) *''Entry of the 5th Lancers into Mons'', (1919 –

Queen's Royal Lancers The Queen's Royal Lancers (QRL) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1993 and amalgamated with the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) on 2 May 2015 to form the Royal Lancers. History The regiment was formed i ...

) *''The Charge of the 9th Lancers at Moncel, 7 September 1914'', (1921 –

9th Queen's Royal Lancers The 9th Queen's Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1715. It saw service for three centuries, including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces, ...

) *''Halloween, 1914: Stand of the London Scottish on Messines Ridge'' (1927 –

Museum Trust)

Paintings (non-military)

*''Ascending The Great Pyramid'' *''Tyrol – Turning The Great Corner'' *''Burma – Minister of State With Attendants'' *''Bull-Fighting'' *''Trades – Estate Agent 'Sold *''Fishing For Bass on the South Coast of England'' *''London – Hyde Park in the Row'' *''Lost Their Way''

Biography

Death and legacy

Paintings (by date)

Paintings (non-military)

Gallery

References

Further reading

External links