Suppression of the Indian Revolt by the English

''Suppression of the Indian Revolt by the English'' is a c. 1884 painting by Russian artist Vasily Vereshchagin. The work depicts several Sepoys being executed by being " blown from a gun" in the aftermath of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

History

Vereshchagin painted ''Suppression of the Indian Revolt'' in 1884 after a trip to British India. Having already visited the Holy Land in the same trip and been inspired by its history, Vereshchagin began to consider producing a series of paintings depicting various forms of executions. One such method of execution was being "blown from a gun" in which the condemned was tied to the muzzle of a cannon and violently dismembered when the cannon was fired.Havholm, Peter (2008). ''Politics and Awe in Rudyard Kipling's Fiction''. Aldershot, England and Burlington, VT, USA: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. . Retrieved 2 May2013. That method was notably used during the suppression of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 about which Vereshchagin heard stories in India.Baylen, Joseph O., and Jane G. Weyant. "Vasili Vereshchagin in the United States." ''The Russian Review'' 30, no. 3 (1971): 250-59. .

Following his return to Europe and his subsequent painting of three execution scenes (later referred to as his "trilogy of executions"), Vereshchagin took his paintings on tour in Britain and the United States. While ''Suppression'' was well-received in the United States, the painting was controversial with the British government.

Description

Vereshchagin, a famous war artist known for his realism, painted ''Suppression of the Indian Revolt'' in 1884. The work is anachronistic; it depicts a real event from the 1857 rebellion, but also shows British soldiers wearing contemporary uniforms. The painting was part of Vereshchagin's "trilogy of executions", which also included the works ''Execution of Conspirators in Russia'' and ''Crucifixion by the Romans.''

References

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1884 paintings
Lost paintings
Paintings by Vasily Vereshchagin