Abyssinia, 1867-1868

“Via the illustrations of soldier artists of an era of adventurous expeditions comes alive the rugged and taunting scenes of the land of the Abyssinians. Filled with handsomely crafted water color illustrations and drawings by artists Robert Baigrie and a few pieces by William Simpson and an equally authoritative and informative introductory text by Frederick A. Sharf, Professor David Northrop and Professor Richard Pankhurst, Abyssinia, 1867-1868: Artists on Campaign is a fascinating tableau of an important era. An anecdote of military expedition adventures, war booties, and hero’s and heroines gives an additional, if not a new, perspective to a period in the history of European imperialism and the colonial invasion of Africa by Europe. Narrative notes accompanied with each illustration allow for contextual analysis of the illustrations. This same description also reveals the existing attitude as manifested with illustration No.4 Portrait of a Danakil Warrior. Overall the book is an essential historic document. Especially it is important for it contains a body of work by artists Robert Baigrie and William Simpson. Both artists have actually participated in the campaign and have made a visual record a magnificent landscape along with the historic Napier expedition to Ethiopia and his encounter with the great Emperor Thewodros of Ethiopia.”

–Achamyeleh Debela is a Professor of Art and Computer Graphics at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina.

“Artists on Campaign is a wonderful companion to the recently published diary of Illustrated London News war correspondent William Simpson. The twenty-nine reproductions of watercolors and drawings, and the authors’ commentaries concerning the context in which they were produced, offer fresh insights into British perceptions of nineteenth-century Ethiopia and the celebrated military expedition against Tewodros II.”
— Raymond Silverman, Professor of Art History and Afro-American and African Studies, University of Michigan. Author of Ethiopia: Traditions of Creativity
“This book, the second of its kind by Tsehai Publishers and Distributors, examines a complex mix of art/illustration, and military and political trends of 19th century British imperialism. It is a book rather than mere catalogue of a show. Both books deal with Atse Tewodros II, the first African King who took British citizens as hostages. Despite their shortcoming and imperial ideology, the illustrations command attention by reason of their historical significance. Any one interested in that period of history will probe into it by seeing eyewitness accounts of the military artists/illustrators works and overviews by distinguished historians.”
— Esseye G Medhin is an independent scholar. He is an artist, art historian and founder of Debre Hayq Ethiopian Art Gallery at http://www.ethiopianart.org.
“Although many of the works on show in the exhibition catalogued in this superb publication appeared at the time in the Illustrated London News, for most readers this will be their first opportunity to see them in color. Indeed, several of the sketches have never before been published in their original form – notably William Simpson’s drawing of Prince Alemayehou, which was executed only a few days after the death of his father, the Emperor Tewedros, and of whom very few images have been handed down to us. Readers are also treated to a number of fascinating tidbits, such as the methods practiced by publishers’ studio staff to enhance landscape sketches with the addition of human figures, and many will be intrigued to learn of the ‘cut and paste’ origins of the graphic cover used to illustrate John Pridham’s musical composition commemorating the battle.
Professors Pankhurst and Northrup are to be congratulated not only for a succinct and readable presentation of the historical background, but for their insight into the relationship between Ethiopia and the outside world prevailing in the mid-19th century. Whereas previous writers have tended to portray events leading up to the ‘Abyssinian difficulty’ through European eyes; the reader can now begin to see them in the Ethiopian context. It is a sad irony that it is only in the 21st century that we begin to see that Tewedros’s cultural values had more in common with the pre-Renaissance world of Prester John than with post-industrial revolution Britain. Clearly the British government’s outrage at the imprisonment of its consul, and Napier’s subsequent refusal to accept anything less than total surrender – even after the release of the prisoners – would not have been anticipated or even understood by an essentially mediæval monarch.
Both Ethiopianists and lovers of military art will be grateful to Frederic Sharf for a unique and important publication. Following hard on the heels of Diary of a Journey to Abyssinia, this carefully prepared exhibition of paintings and drawings of Britain’s Abyssinia expedition fills some significant gaps in our knowledge of 19th century Ethiopia.”
— Ian Campbell is an Economist and Cultural Resources Specialist at The World Bank in Washington. He writes articles on Ethiopian iconography, architecture and cultural history.