This original hand-coloured engraving from the Illustrated London News presents a dramatic encounter on the frontiers of the Anglo-Zulu War. Titled "Vidette Outside a Laager", the scene is the work of renowned military artist Richard Caton Woodville, celebrated for his detailed and often psychologically charged depictions of British colonial warfare.
The composition shows a tense standoff between a mounted Boer or colonial scout (vidette) and a concealed Zulu warrior hidden in the reeds of a marsh. The scout, bearded and wary, sits atop his horse, rifle across his arm, unaware of the imminent danger lurking in the foreground. The Zulu, camouflaged in the tall grass and partially submerged in water, clutches an assegai, poised to strike. The image captures the danger, asymmetry, and uncertainty of colonial warfare, rendered in Woodville’s signature mix of fine linework and narrative intensity.
The engraving has been expertly hand-coloured, with careful attention to detail and atmosphere. It is presented in a cream-coloured matting.
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Image size: 12 x 8.5 inches
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Overall dimensions with matting: 19 x 15 inches
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Condition: Very good, with strong original hand-colouring; light toning to margins consistent with age. Cleanly presented and ready for framing.
A fine example of Victorian military illustration, ideal for collectors of Anglo-Zulu War material, Boer frontier art, or periodical engravings by R. Caton Woodville.
