Artwork
Col. Burnaby, Royal Horse Guards. Gakdul, 1885
Col. Burnaby, Royal Horse Guards. Gakdul, 1885 is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist William S. Perry. It dates from 1885 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. William S.
About this work
Overview
William S. Perry’s 1885 watercolour captures Colonel Burnaby of the Royal Horse Guards mounted on a camel in the arid landscape of Gakdul. Rendered with swift brushwork, the image shows the officer in a long coat and hat, his face turned toward the viewer while the camel, marked with the number 138, gazes away. The composition conveys a moment of travel amid the stark, rocky terrain.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing records a specific episode of the British military presence in Egypt during the late‑19th‑century campaigns. By portraying a senior officer on a camel, Perry emphasizes the logistical challenges of desert operations and the adaptation of British troops to local conditions.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolour, the work relies on loose, rapid strokes that suggest movement and immediacy. The sketchy handling of the figures and the sparse background reflects a field study approach, likely produced on location rather than in a studio.
History & Provenance
This piece belongs to a series of twenty‑seven watercolours documenting the 1882 British campaign in Egypt and the 1884‑85 Nile Expedition. Contemporary visual records of the same events appeared in periodicals such as the Illustrated London News and The Graphic, and parallel sketches were made by artists like Count Gleichen and O. Norie.
Context
The illustration situates Colonel Burnaby within the broader British expeditionary effort that sought to secure the Nile Valley and protect imperial interests. Camels were a common mode of transport for officers navigating the desert, and the numbered animal hints at the regiment’s logistical inventory.
Artist & collection
Artist
A British watercolour artist active in the 1880s, William S. Perry painted scenes from Egypt’s military outposts in vivid, portable washes. His sheets include Outpost duty at El Gubat. Night. (1886) and Outpost duty at…
