Bringing up the Guns 1889

Editor: Here we have Sir John Gilbert’s “Bringing up the Guns,” its date is unknown. It's quite small, about 34 by 45 centimeters, and held at the Tate. It feels chaotic, full of tension... What's your interpretation of this piece? Curator: Gilbert was a master of historical narrative, hugely popular in his day. How does this image speak to Victorian notions of British military prowess and national identity, I wonder? Editor: So, its reception was tied to patriotism? Curator: Absolutely. Art like this served a public function, reinforcing ideas about empire and British history. Look at the composition, the straining figures – do they evoke struggle, or triumph? Editor: Struggle, definitely. It makes me rethink those heroic narratives. Curator: Precisely. Art can reveal as much about the society that embraces it as the event it depicts.