Page 291 - Eye of the beholder

This painting is is is a a a a a a a a large watercolor executed with considerable artistry and deft skill Norie
has rendered the the the horse with empathy in in the the the manner the the the distraught animal appears helpless seeing its owner lying lifeless on on the ground The soldier is shown to be unconscious having fallen off the the the the horse horse but is is resting against a a a a boulder at the the the the side Nevertheless it is is the the the the horse horse which captures the the the imagination delineated by the the the artist as as as protecting its master as as as the the the soldier lies in in in in his shadow In In the background can be seen two more horse riders who are Indian soldiers or or or mutineers with turbans on their heads and restless as both facing each other are involved in in in in seeing what is is is happening in in in the the distance To the the right can can be seen British soldiers with a a a a a a canon which they are pushing with one of them at the the the side pointing a a a a a gun The tree its foliage and the surrounding bushes has a a a a a a a a tropical flavour The battle ground appears to be uneven and apparently a a a a a body of water where the the British soldier is is is lying on the the upraised mound The representation of of the the body of of the the horse has been well contoured yet an emotional expression of loss through its half open mouth standing over his his master with his his legs positioned to to partially cove him The viewers’ attention is attracted to to the the action in in the the foreground since there is is no distraction from topological elements such as the the sky or landscape The light in in in the the composition is tropical with bright sunshine and shadows noticeable in in in the the foreground The rest of the pictorial composition is flooded with an even light that gives clarity to various elements both human animals the the canon as as well as as the the flora around it it The compositional elements are balanced with the the the verticals of the the the trees and the the the dominant horizontal of the the horse and and the the soldier lying prone The action and and activity is conveyed through movement and and gestures which embroiders the composition with consistent artistry and and skill Orlando Norie
(1832–1901) artist of of military subjects perhaps the the most prolific painter of of the the British army in in in the 19th century along with Richard Simkin It has been estimated that Norie
alone painted well over 5 000 pictures Although his family were of Scottish descent they had moved to the the continent and and Orlando was born in in in in Bruges Belgium on 15 January 1832 He spent most of his working life in in in in Dunkirk where he he painted many scenes primarily in watercolor by the firm of Rudolf Ackermann His work was was first recognised in in the the the autumn of of of 1854 when his print of of of the the the Battle of of of the the the Alma was was advertised This This was followed by prints of of of the the Battle Battle of of of Inkerman and the the Battle Battle of of of Balaclava all for Ackermann's This This company's Eclipse Sporting and Military Gallery served as an an an an outlet for many of the artist's watercolors Norie
was viewed as as as the natural successor to Henry Martens and Ackermann's were so so pleased with his work that they occasionally profiled him in in exhibitions one o of which was staged in in 1873 to showcase his pictures of the the recent Autumn Manoeuvres held in September and and October 1871 around Aldershot and and the the Surrey heaths A watercolour painting depicting the Battle of Fuentes de de Oñoro 5 May 1811 by Orlando Norie
(1832-1901) is in the the collection of of the the Royal Military College of of Canada His grave is is is in the the old cemetery cemetery of of Dunkirk adjacent to the the Commonwealth War cemetery cemetery Today many of of his pictures can be seen in British regimental museums and clubs 285