The Dying Contrabandista is an 1858 genre painting by the British artist John Phillip. Formerly a member of The Clique artistic group, later in his career Phillip concentrated on scenes of Spanish life and was a favourite painter of Queen Victoria.[1]
| The Dying Contrabandista | |
|---|---|
_-_The_Dying_Contrabandista_-_RCIN_404562_-_Royal_Collection.jpg) | |
| Artist | John Phillip |
| Year | 1858 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, genre painting |
| Dimensions | 130 cm × 200 cm (52 in × 80 in) |
| Location | Royal Collection |
The paining portrays a fatally wounded smuggler dying in the arms of his beloved. Other members of the gang stand sentry, looking out of the windows. The theme of a wounded guerrilla had previously been used by David Wilkie in a scene of the Peninsular War.[2] It was displayed the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition of 1858.
It provided inspiration for the 1866 opera The Contrabandista by Arthur Sullivan and F.C. Burnand.[3] The work was acquired by Queen Victoria in 1858 for 650 guineas as a Christmas gift for her husband Prince Albert. Today the painting remains in the Royal Collection.[4]
References
edit- ^ https://www.rct.uk/collection/404562/the-dying-contrabandista
- ^ Clarke & Remington p.130
- ^ Lawrence p.105
- ^ https://www.rct.uk/collection/404562/the-dying-contrabandista
Bibliography
edit- Clarke, Deborah & Remington, Vanessa. Scottish Artists 1750-1900: From Caledonia to the Continent. Royal Collection Trust, 2015.
- Lawrence, Mark. Anglo-Hispania Beyond the Black Legend: British Campaigns, Travellers and Attitudes Towards Spain Since 1489. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2023
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