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I gave identifying info about this work to Perplexity with the instructions to research it and tell me all the interesting things it could about the work. Here’s what we got:

When Art Caused a Riot: The Painting So Powerful It Needed Police Protection

In the frozen landscape of war-torn Crimea, a line of exhausted British soldiers stands in the snow, their breath visible in the bitter cold. Their red coats are barely visible beneath heavy greatcoats and towering bearskin hats, and many bear the telltale signs of battle—wounds, fatigue, and the thousand-yard stare of men who have seen too much. One soldier has collapsed forward onto the icy ground, unable to maintain the military bearing expected of him, while his comrades continue to stand at attention. A mounted officer watches from his horse as a sergeant methodically calls the roll, checking off names of those still alive to answer. This haunting scene, captured in Elizabeth Thompson's masterpiece "Calling the Roll After An Engagement, Crimea" (better known simply as "The Roll Call"), would become one of the most sensational paintings in British art history.

The Sensation That Stopped London

When this six-foot-wide oil painting was unveiled at the Royal Academy's summer exhibition in 1874, it created an unprecedented sensation. The selection committee actually applauded when the work was first revealed, and Thompson received a standing ovation from her fellow artists on varnishing day. But nothing could have prepared anyone for the public's reaction. The painting was so popular that a policeman had to be stationed in front of it to control the attending crowds. Thompson later wrote that she awoke one morning and "found myself famous". The painting subsequently toured the country in triumph, drawing massive crowds wherever it went.

A Revolutionary Vision of War

What made "The Roll Call" so revolutionary wasn't just its technical brilliance, but its radical departure from traditional war painting. Instead of glorifying military heroes or depicting dramatic moments of victory, Thompson chose to show something far more subversive: the humanity, suffering, and camaraderie of ordinary soldiers. This was war art as social commentary, focusing on the rank-and-file troops who bore the real cost of military campaigns while their officers played chess in their tents.

The painting's composition reinforced this democratic message. Thompson deliberately eschewed the traditional pyramidal composition of history paintings that typically focused on one prominent individual—like Benjamin West's "The Death of General Wolfe"—in favor of a more democratic linear arrangement that emphasized the common soldier. The irregular line of figures creates a sense of authentic military disorder, far removed from the choreographed heroism of conventional battle scenes.

The Crimean Context: A War of Incompetence

Thompson's painting depicted a moment during the Crimean War (1853-1856), specifically following the Battle of Inkerman in 1854, though it was intended to represent a more generic scene from the conflict. By the time Thompson created her masterpiece in 1874, the war had been over for almost two decades, but the controversies arising from the conflict still simmered in British society.

The Crimean War had been a public relations disaster for the British military establishment. For the first time, newspaper correspondents and artists were sent to the battlefield, and instead of sending back glowing accounts of officer bravery, they focused on the suffering and heroism of ordinary soldiers and the inefficiencies of those in command. Reports emerged of rank-and-file soldiers being sent into battle without guidance while their officers remained in their tents, of troops missing out on food supplies, and of cholera running rampant through the ranks. Disease killed far more British soldiers than the enemy ever did, and the British public was horrified when they learned the truth.

Artistic Mastery in Service of Truth

Thompson's technical approach perfectly served her message. The painting has a highly finished surface reflecting her academic training at the Female School of Art in South Kensington, where she had been inspired by French military painters Jean-Louis Meissonier and Edouard Détaille. The coldness of the winter battlefield is evoked through a masterful palette of black, grey, white, and brown, contrasting with small but powerful splashes of red from the soldiers' coatees and regimental flags.

The work measures 93.3 × 183.5 centimeters (36.7 × 72.2 inches) and was executed in oil on canvas. Thompson had prepared for this ambitious work by reading Alexander William Kinglake's "Invasion of the Crimea" and painting studies of actual Crimean veterans in 1873. This research-based approach gave the painting its remarkable authenticity and emotional power.

From Manchester to the Royal Collection

The painting's journey from creation to royal ownership reads like a fairy tale of artistic success. Originally commissioned by Manchester industrialist Charles Galloway, the work eventually caught the attention of Queen Victoria herself, who was keen to acquire it. The painting now resides in the Royal Collection, a testament to its enduring significance in British art and history.

The Artist Behind the Revolution

Elizabeth Thompson (who became Lady Butler upon her marriage in 1877) was just 26 years old and virtually unknown when she submitted "The Roll Call" to the Royal Academy. Her path to this moment of triumph had begun with teenage painting lessons and formal training at the Female School of Art. After witnessing an army maneuver at Southampton, she had turned to military subjects—an unusual choice for a female artist of her era.

Despite the enormous success of "The Roll Call" and her regular exhibitions at the Royal Academy, Thompson was never elected to the Academy—a reminder of the institutional barriers that even the most successful women artists faced in the Victorian era. Nevertheless, her bold vision and technical mastery had created a work that not only captured the public imagination but fundamentally changed how war could be depicted in art, prioritizing truth over glory and humanity over heroism.

And that's it!

If you have any details you think Perplexity left out, reply to this email and I'll adjust my prompt to nudge it to include it next time.

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Thanks for reading!

-JP

Current prompt: I want you to create a newsletter post describing the fun and exciting stories around a painting. It should be a newsletter read for leisure and should be an enjoyable read (not just a list of facts) here's what you’re gonna do: Find the name of the following painting in its original language and any alternative names it goes by. Then Research the painting and give me blurb telling me all you can about the artist, the historical context/events it was created in, the style, the materials used, the composition and visual elements, the story/underlying message, what inspired the work/what it meant to the author, and whatever other info you find that helps give a complete understanding of the work. A description of what is depicted (mention subjects) should be the first thing, while the “biography” of the artist should be last. if the work has a lot of meaning behind it, then that is what the meat of the newsletter should be. Besides that you are free to present the information in a concise and captivating way, with the most interesting and novel stuff closest to the top. Order the presentation of information for which pieces have the most compelling and interesting story to tell. At least some of the description should be formatted like a story. [for example: a couple sits on a bench watching the sunset while a man next to them…]. ONLY include information that is for THIS SPECIFIC PAINTING. you will find info on paintings similar to this one but NOT this one. OMMIT INFO ABOUT SUCH PIECES. remember, the goal is to make the most compelling, intriguing, and fun to read newsletter as possible, so keep that above all else.