About this artwork

In 1869 Herdman received a major commission from The Royal Association for the Promotion of the Fine Arts in Scotland to create a painting of his choice that would be ‘capable of furnishing a powerful and effective engraving’. The engraving by Francis Holl was subsequently issued to the society’s subscribers. The subject Herdman chose was not based on any known literary source. His description of the wounded covenanting soldier being tended by a sympathetic family was intended to be fully self-explanatory. Herdman captured the anguish and concern for the soldier in each of the figures’ faces. He skilfully integrated the individuality of each figure into a cohesive monumental scene, which honours the plight of the lowly soldier on a heroic scale.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Robert Herdman (1829 - 1888) Scottish
  • title:
    After the Battle: A Scene in Covenanting Times
  • date created:
    Dated 1870
  • materials:
    Oil on canvas
  • measurements:
    115.80 x 173.00 cm; Framed: 156.10 x 213.50 x 15.60 cm / 52.00 kg
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    Commissioned by RAPFAS 1870; transferred 1897
  • accession number:
    NG 599
  • gallery:
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Robert Herdman

Robert Herdman