1 Jul 2025 - 1 Nov 2026

Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria

This major exhibition of rarely seen artworks illuminates shifting attitudes towards soldiers and the Army during Queen Victoria’s reign (1837 – 1901).

Free exhibition

Discover over 100 inspiring artworks - including paintings, sketchbooks and miniatures - from the National Army Museum's collections, as well as major loans from the Royal Collections Trust and the National Portrait Gallery.

During Queen Victoria’s reign, military art had an enormous impact on the public in Britain. Demand for news from across the globe created a new trade in war correspondence, with reports sent directly from the battlefield. 

In an era when photography was still new, artists were commissioned to report and draw scenes from the front.

Images of war

Britain’s army was no longer depicted through its generals and leaders alone. Instead, military painters evoked ordinary soldiers and their experiences, playing a vital role in satisfying this appetite for accurate and up-to-date information.

Alongside the proliferation of realistic images of war appearing in the press, military art was displayed in exhibitions that attracted huge crowds. Similarly, affordable prints and illustrated publications could be found in homes across the country.

A growing appreciation and empathy for the hardships soldiers faced - newly reflected in the art of the era - led to a series of military reforms. However, idealised battle scenes and heroic portraits of the Army elite - an early form of propaganda and ‘fake news’ - continued to serve a purpose to inspire national pride and maintain public support for ongoing military campaigns.

A fresh perspective

Featuring artworks not seen in public for a generation, this major exhibition brings a fresh perspective to a vital period of art history.

Charting almost a century of military art, the exhibition gives prominence to paintings and sketches by Lady Butler, the leading female battle artist of the age. Her guiding principle of painting not for the ‘glory of war’ but to portray its ‘pathos and heroism’ demonstrates the stylistic development that can be seen through the works on display.

An accompanying series of public events and digital storytelling will explore the exhibition’s themes in more detail.

  • Allow about 60 minutes

  • Access via main lift

  • Gallery on Floor 2

Plan your free visit
‘I never painted for the glory of war, but to portray its pathos and heroism.’
Lady Elizabeth Butler1922

Related stories

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Drawn on the spot: War artists and the illustrated press

To satisfy the Victorian public’s growing desire for authentic images of war, newspapers began sending artists to accompany British troops on campaign. Their pictures formed the substance of much war reporting.

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Home Again, 1858

This painting by Henry Nelson O'Neil captures the moment soldiers and their families are reunited after a long spell of separation. Here, we take a closer look at the artwork to gain a 19th-century insight into this often neglected aspect of military life.

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Dawn of Waterloo

This emotive oil painting is one of the highlights of our art collection. Details revealed during four months of specialist conservation have enhanced our understanding of the artist, Lady Butler, and her empathy for the ordinary soldier.

Related events

Study of a wounded Guardsman, Crimea, c1854
Talk
4 Jul 2025

Myth and Reality: The Victorian Soldier in Art

Join Susan Ward, the lead curator of our new major exhibition on Victorian military art, as she discusses the representation of soldiers in the late 19th century.

Detail from the painting ' A Welcome Arrival, 1855'
Tour
4 Jul 2025 £15.00

Exhibition Tour: Myth and Reality

Enjoy a guided tour of our new major exhibition, ‘Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria’, with lead curator Susan Ward.

The Coldstream Guards Changing Guard at St James, c1905
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19 Jul 2025

Victorian Soldier Spotlight

To mark the opening of our new exhibition, ‘Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria’, join us for a day of talks and activities, and the chance to meet soldiers who still serve in scarlet.