Alphonse de Neuville- Painting the Defence of Rorke's Drift

Does anyone have an idea where in England (Portsmouth? London?) Alphonse de Neuville stayed? He must have had a studio somewhere to receive and paint (sketch) his "models".
According to the Portsmouth Evening News of october 18th 1880 Mr. de Neuville had "no lack of facilities" and "sittings" were
organised for Maj. Chard and the Rev. Smith and Surgeon Maj. Reynolds.

Stefaan
I don't know the answer to this one but...
you might try:
Jackson, David, 'Zulu War Paintings - Alphonse De Neuville', Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Vol. LXIX, No. 277, Spring 1991, pp. 56–57.
Southey, R. J., 'De Neuville and Isandhlwana', Africana Notes and News, Vol. 19, No. 6, June 1971, pp. 253–254.

Thanks for the info julian, I'll have a look.

Stefaan
You might also look at
Anon., Description of Mons. De Neuville’s Picture “The Defence of Rorke’s Drift”, (The Fine Art Society, London, 1880).
I can't recall whether is anything in this that details where it was painted and can't locate my own copy at the moment.

Posts : 57 Join date : 2024-02-15 Location : Somerset

Stefaan,

Not sure if this will be any help, there is a little bit about the painting on anglozuluwar.com. An endnote caught my eye;

"For reviews of De Neuville's painting and a reprint of the pamphlet of the presentation to the Queen refer 'The Defence of Rorke's Drift' in the The Journal of The Anglo Zulu War Historical Society. 13 (June 2003). Details of the painting's history are included in the Art Gallery of New South Wales De Neuville file'.

Julian mentions The Fine Art Society, I believe they were the people who commissioned the painting, but could be wide of the mark.

Regards
Dash

Dash
It did commission it and it published the above booklet to accompany the painting's exhibition.

Thanks Dash and Julian for directing me to certain articles. I was able to find and read most of them but they they are about the
painting itself and the depicted figures in it. I have now contacted the Fine Art Society if they can shed any light on this. I also contacted
some French Archives to see I they know anything more. I'll keep you posted.

» The Defence of Rorke’s Drift, a work by W H Dugan
» Rorke's Drift VC's
» Alphonse de Neuville's print of 17th Lancers at Ulundi