Description
Signed and inscribed on a label verso, oil on panel
Dimensions
12cm x 21.5cm (4.75in x 8.5in)
Footnote
Note: Painted before she became Lady Butler, this charming small-scale oil on panel study captures a sense of Elizabeth Thompson's youthful talents, particularly her eye for composition, painting the land where she spent much of her childhood. Here, she depicts the informal moment of an elegant lady luxuriating in the lush surroundings and views of her Genoese garden, accompanied by a faithful canine companion.
Following art school training in London, Lady Butler made her name with military battle scenes, finding a niche that particularly fit with the current Victorian enthusiasm for military adventure and valour. She wrote of her work, 'I never painted for the glory of war, but to portray its pathos and heroism.'