Edward Armitage


Retribution 1858


Oil on Canvas


‘Retribution’ commemorates the events of the Indian rebellion of 1857 – 1858. The Sepoy troops who were working for the British rebelled which consequently resulted to great acts of cruelty from both sides. The British soldiers unable to protect their women and children surrendered hoping to gain safe passage and boats to take survivors to Allahabed. The Europeans put their guard down in order to bored the boats where there were attacked. The boats were set on fire while they were being ambushed. Roughly two hundred men, women and children were killed in and around the boats. The men who survived the initial attack were shot at the riverbank. About two hundred women and children were taken back and imprisoned in a building called Bibighur. There were no actual survivors from the captivated. This incident was known as the Massacre of Cawpore.
The British public through photography and the telegraph saw these events and were shocked and horrified.


This painting represents the end of the conflict. The strong figure of the woman represents Britannia and all it’s strength and courage. The Bengal Tiger of India is being slain which signifies India’s strengths and weaknesses. I think that the artist deliberately chooses a tiger because of its strength and therefore portrays that man is stronger than any beast.
It also suggests that India as a country portray similar characteristic to the tiger.

The title ‘Retribution’ is very interesting because it represents Britannia getting its revenge on India. The artist deliberately chose this as a title to demonstrate the cruelty of the action displayed by the Serpoys.

The painting itself is bias because it wants us as the audience to sympathise and choose sides. It is very easy to notice the mother and the two babies laying down presumably dead and I think the artist plays with emotions. It is easy to provoke an audience if you deliberately include and subject or and issue which is inhumane. This content was not fabricated and is actually a true event, which makes the audience participate emotionally with this image.

This painting reminds me of the war propaganda posters that were produce during the first and second world war. These advertisements were deliberately designed to persuade and force the audience who were well and able men to go to war for their country. These posters basically played with the audiences’ emotions and made them feel like cowards if the didn’t go to war. This particular painting has a similar agenda but in a different context. There are always to sides to a story but in this painting, the artist only wants you to immediately side with the British.

I think that the use of the women in this picture is very strange because men are really seen as a protector, or more powerful. The image of the women though is slightly exaggerated. She can almost be seen as a man because of her powerful stance and structure. I also think that Edward Armitage chose to use a woman because she almost seems like the mother of our country taking revenge.

There are the buildings in the background that suggests that this is set in India. The sky in the painting looks quite blue but there are loads of grey clouds covering the blue sky. I think the artist tries represent the anger and fury felt by Britannia. The painting itself is quite colourful in itself, which grabs the audience’s attention.

I decided to pick this particular image because of the history it carried and I was also inquisitive about what the painting was all about. I like this painting because it grabbed my attention straight away and the composition of the actual image is really good. Everything is positioned for a purpose and the message and meaning is very clear.