Oil paint on canvas
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<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/charles-wellington-furse-1134" aria-label="More by Charles Wellington Furse" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Charles Wellington Furse</a>
FieldMarshal Earl Roberts KG VC OM
Presented by the artist's widow 1932
adults
animals: mammals
army
Asian
battle
courage
emotions and human qualities
emotions, concepts and ideas
ethnicity
fine art and design, named works
flag - non-specific
groups
history
horse
Indian
Indian Mutiny, 1857-8
individuals: male
Kandahar, Battle, 1880
man
military
military
named individuals
nationality
objects
people
portraits
religious and ceremonial
Roberts, Earl, Field-Marshall
society
soldier
South Africa War, 1899-1901
Velazquez, Diego, painting, ‘The Surrender of Breda’
Velazquez, Diego, paintings
work and occupations
painting oil paint canvas
Field-Marshal Earl Roberts, KG, VC, OM
support: 3404 × 4547 mm
Presented by the artist's widow 1932
<p><b>N04611</b> FIELD-MARSHAL EARL ROBERTS, K.G., V.C., O.M. 1893–5
<br/> 
<br/>Not inscribed.
<br/>Canvas, 134×179 (340×454).
<br/>Presented by the artist's widow 1932.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> Lent to the Tate Gallery by Dame Katharine Furse from 1906.
<br/><i>Lit:</i> B.F.A.C., <i>Memoir</i>, 1908, p.6, repr. pl.3.</p>
<p>Field-Marshal, 1st Earl Roberts, 1832–1914, distinguished himself in the relief of Lucknow in 1858, at Kandahar in 1880 and in the South African War 1899–1901. He is seen mounted on his bay horse Saracen. Colours are borne behind him by two Indian soldiers on foot. Highland troops are indicated on the right; in the studies a battle is proceeding in the distance on this side. The Tate picture is unfinished and dates from 1893 to 1895. D. S. MacColl, writing in the B.F.A.C. <i>Memoir</i>, p.6, says that ‘Furse took a large studio at 33 Tite Street, Chelsea, in 1892. In this studio he embarked upon his most ambitious monumental <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/portrait" title="Glossary definition for 'Portrait'"><span>portrait</span></a>, the Lord Roberts. Many studies were made, the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/composition" title="Glossary definition for 'Composition'"><span>composition</span></a> was set out.... The equestrian figure was completed and some of the figures behind him, - orderlies and Sikhs. The troops to the right were only sketched.’ In 1895 the artist went to South Africa, the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/canvas" title="Glossary definition for 'Canvas'"><span>canvas</span></a> was rolled up, and he never touched it again.</p>
<p>For another equestrian portrait of Lord Roberts see <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/furse-field-marshal-earl-roberts-on-his-charger-vonolel-t00615" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>T00615</span></a>. A study of the head of Lord Roberts is reproduced in David James, <i>Lord Roberts</i>, 1954, facing p.336. At the B.F.A.C. Memorial exhibition in 1906 there were four studies for the whole composition (13, 14, 15 and 17), one of the horse Saracen (40) and one of a soldier (41), all lent by the artist's widow.</p>
<p>Dame Katharine Furse, 1940, p.251, points out that the composition was partly borrowed from Velazquez's ‘Surrender of Breda’. Furse was lecturing on Velazquez for the Oxford University Extension Society in 1894.</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, I
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-06T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
adults animals: mammals army Asian battle courage emotions and human qualities emotions, concepts and ideas ethnicity fine art and design, named works flag - non-specific groups history horse Indian Indian Mutiny, 1857-8 individuals: male Kandahar, Battle, 1880 man military military named individuals nationality objects people portraits religious and ceremonial Roberts, Earl, Field-Marshall society soldier South Africa War, 1899-1901 Velazquez, Diego, paintings Velazquez, Diego, painting, ‘The Surrender of Breda’ work and occupations