Artwork
Start I
Start I 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 watercolour titled *Start I* belongs to a series of twenty‑seven sketches that record British military operations in Egypt (1882) and the Nile Expedition (1884‑85). The image captures a solitary rider on a camel traversing a barren desert, with distant mountains framing the horizon.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a soldier in a white uniform, complete with a helmet and a rifle slung across his shoulder, seated on a camel draped with a red blanket and a white tag. The composition emphasizes the isolation and endurance of troops moving across an unforgiving landscape.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolour, the work employs delicate washes that soften the harshness of the desert light, allowing subtle tonal shifts to suggest the play of sunlight on sand and sky. The restrained palette and fluid brushwork convey a calm atmosphere rather than dramatic action.
History & Provenance
*Start I* reflects contemporary reportage of the campaigns, drawing on visual material published in periodicals such as *The Illustrated London News* and *The Graphic*. Comparable sketches by Count Gleichen and O. Norie appear in related collections, and further documentation is held in the Searight Archive.
Context
The series was produced during a period of intense British involvement in Egypt and Sudan, serving both as a visual record for the public and as a means of documenting the logistical challenges of desert warfare. Perry’s work aligns with other illustrative efforts that sought to bring distant battlefields to a home audience.
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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…
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