The Battle of Isandlwana, 22nd January 1879, c.1885 (oil on canvas)

Originally exhibited as ‘The last stand at Isandhula’, this painting illustrates one of the worst disasters suffered by the British Army in the late nineteenth century. Charles Fripp arrived in Zululand in March 1879 as the 'special artist' for 'The Graphic'. Not an eye-witness, he reconstructed this event as more heroic than the shambles it must have been. The painting made little impact when it was exhibited in 1885 since the event was neither glorious nor topical. However, attitudes and interests have changed, particularly since the film 'Zulu' appeared in 1963. It is now the most popular image in the National Army Museum.