Artwork
The Gordon Riots, 1780
The Gordon Riots, 1780 is an unspecified painting by the British Romanticist artist John Seymour Lucas. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
About this work
This painting depicts a chaotic scene of a riot, with a group of red-coated soldiers standing in the foreground, facing a crowd of people in the background.
This painting depicts a chaotic scene of a riot, with a group of red-coated soldiers standing in the foreground, facing a crowd of people in the background. The soldiers are armed and appear to be preparing to charge, while the crowd is shown in various states of distress, with some people fleeing and others standing their ground.
In the foreground, several people are shown lying on the ground, some of whom appear to be injured or dead. The scene is set against a backdrop of buildings, which are depicted in a state of disrepair, with broken windows and crumbling walls.
The painting is a vivid depiction of the chaos and violence of the Gordon Riots, a series of anti-Catholic riots that took place in London in 1780. To learn more about this event, look up the Gordon Riots.
Overview
John Seymour Lucas’s 1879 oil painting records the violent upheaval of the Gordon Riots in London, June 1780. The work captures a moment when armed red‑coated soldiers confront a disorderly crowd amid ruined buildings, illustrating the breakdown of order that prompted the army’s intervention.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas visualises the anti‑Catholic unrest sparked by Lord George Gordon’s agitation against the North ministry’s reforms. It portrays the chaotic mixture of fleeing civilians, injured bodies on the ground, and resolute soldiers, underscoring the human cost of the week‑long disturbances that threatened the city’s stability.
Technique & Style
Lucas employs a dramatic chiaroscuro, contrasting the bright uniforms of the troops with the shadowed, smoke‑filled streets. The composition places the military in the foreground, creating a sense of imminent action, while the dilapidated architecture and fragmented crowd convey disorder through loose brushwork and a muted palette.
History & Provenance
First shown at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition in 1879, the painting entered the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney after being acquired in 1881. Its early exhibition placed it within the Victorian era’s interest in historic genre scenes that combined narrative detail with moral commentary.
Context
The Gordon Riots erupted after Parliament’s Catholic Relief Act of 1778, which reduced legal penalties on Catholics. Lord Gordon’s petition to repeal the act ignited mass protests that escalated into widespread looting and arson, ultimately requiring military force to restore order.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Seymour Lucas (21 December 1849 – 8 May 1923) was a Victorian English historical and portrait painter, as well as an accomplished theatrical costume designer.
The Dublin Volunteers on College Green, 4th November 1779
El Pilar no se rinde
The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, 17 June, 1775
The Death of General Wolfe
The Surrender of the Dutch Admiral de Winter to Admiral Duncan at the Battle of Camperdown (The Victory of Lord Duncan)
The Sortie Made by the Garrison of Gibraltar
Mihai Viteazul izgonind turcii la Giurgiu
Attentat de Fieschi. Revue de la Garde nationale, 28 juillet 1835
The Battle of Kolin 1757
Moving Day (in Little Old New York)
Héroïsme des marins du vaisseau Le Vengeur commandés par le capitaine Renaudin
An Incident of the Revolution