Art of the Crimean War

Join Professor Meaghan Clarke as she examines some of the art inspired by the Crimean War, 170 years after the outbreak of the conflict.

On 16 October 1853, the Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia, setting in motion what we remember today as the Crimean War. The following year, Britain and France entered the war on the Ottoman side. This was the only major European conflict in which the British Army engaged in the century between Waterloo (1815) and the First World War (1914-18).

The events of the Crimean War inspired a range of artists to capture and reimagine the conflict in different ways and for different reasons. Iconic artworks like ‘The Relief of the Light Brigade’ and ‘The Thin Red Line’ not only offer insights into how the war was fought, but also serve as windows into the artists’ minds.

In this illuminating talk, Professor Meaghan Clarke will highlight a range of art inspired by the Crimean War and appraise the artists who created such captivating imagery.

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About Professor Meaghan Clarke

Meaghan Clarke is Professor in Art History at the University of Sussex. She is the author of 'Fashionability, Exhibition Culture and Gender Politics: Fair Women' and 'Critical Voices: Women and Art Criticism in Britain, 1880-1905'.