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Elizabeth Thompson’s (Lady Butler) Remnants
of an Army (1879) is a depiction of the aftermath of the British retreat
from Kabul during the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1842. The painting captures the
sole survivor of a 16,000-strong British force, Dr. William Brydon, arriving at
Jalalabad.
The composition centers on Brydon,
slumped on a weary horse, his face gaunt and eyes hollow, embodying exhaustion
and survival. The stark, snowy landscape amplifies the desolation, with muted
colors evoking a sense of loss. Butler’s attention to detail—Brydon’s tattered
uniform, the horse’s drooping head—conveys the physical and emotional toll of
the retreat. Unlike typical Victorian military art glorifying triumph, this
painting subverts convention, focusing on defeat and resilience.
Historically, the retreat from Kabul
was a disaster, with the British column decimated by Afghan tribesmen and harsh
winter conditions. Butler, known for her empathetic portrayals of soldiers,
uses Brydon’s survival to highlight individual endurance.
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