''Floreat Etona!'' is an 1882 painting by

Elizabeth Thompson Elizabeth Southerden Thompson (3 November 1846 – 2 October 1933), later known as Lady Butler, was a British painter who specialised in painting scenes from British military campaigns and battles, including the Crimean War and the Napoleonic ...

, Lady Butler. The title is the motto of

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

, "may Eton flourish". The painting depicts an incident that took place in 1881, during the

First Boer War The First Boer War ( af, Eerste Vryheidsoorlog, literally "First Freedom War"), 1880–1881, also known as the First Anglo–Boer War, the Transvaal War or the Transvaal Rebellion, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881 betwee ...

. The work depicts Lieutenant

Robert Elwes Robert Hamond Elwes (1856 – 28 January 1881) was a Lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards famous for having died valiantly at the Battle of Laing's Nek, South Africa as immortalized in Elizabeth (Lady Butler) Thompson's painting, "Floreat Etona! ...

of the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

, who was killed at the

Battle of Laing's Nek The Battle of Laing's Nek was a major battle fought at Laing's Nek during the First Boer War on 28 January 1881. Background Following the Boer declaration of independence for the Transvaal in 1880 the British suffered a series of disastrous defe ...

on 28 January 1881. The British Army was attempting to force its way through a pass in the

Drakensberg Mountains The Drakensberg (Afrikaans: Drakensberge, Zulu: uKhahlambha, Sotho: Maluti) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – within th ...

, when Elwes joined a hopeless frontal assault into the teeth of a formidable Boer defence, charging up a hill on horseback. He reportedly encouraged another Eton old boy, adjutant of the

58th Regiment of Foot The 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Northamptonshire Regiment in 1881. His ...

, with a shout of "Come along Monck! Floreat Etona! We must be in the front rank!" immediately before he was shot and killed. Elwes was one of 83 killed and 11 wounded. Monck survived the battle. The painting shows two mounted British officers in blue patrol jackets, with swords drawn, leading red-coated infantry in a charge towards the viewer. The horse to the right (bearing Monck) is stumbling, and the officer to the left (Elwes) shouts encouragement. A

Queen's Colour In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some ...

is visible in the background – this attack was the last time a British battalion carried its colours into action – and the flat-topped mountain of Majuba in

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

. The painting measures . It was shown at the

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition The Summer Exhibition is an open art exhibition held annually by the Royal Academy in Burlington House, Piccadilly in central London, England, during the months of June, July, and August. The exhibition includes paintings, prints, drawings, sc ...

in 1882. Unusually for Lady Butler, the painting was not a critical success, perhaps because it commemorates a minor and unsuccessful incident in an unregarded war. Some critics thought the painting was too sentimental. The painting was sold at Christie's in London in June 2007 for £50,400.

External links

Christies
June 2007
The Transvaal Rebellion: The First Boer War, 1880-1881

John Laband John Paul Clow Laband (born 18 March 1947 in Johannesburg) is a South African historian and writer, specialising in Anglo-Zulu and Boers wars. He has taught at universities in South Africa, England and Canada. In particular he has been Professo ...

, p. 1-2, 8
Imperialism and Popular Culture
edited by John M. MacKenzie, p. 66-67 {{Elizabeth Thompson 1882 paintings Paintings by Elizabeth Thompson War paintings First Boer War