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53-465: The stupa was first excavated by William Simpson in February 1879. He cleared the base of the stupa and dug a tunnel to the center. The excavation found the remains of a colossal Buddha statue in clay covered with stucco at the entrance of the principal gateway, with feet measuring 58 centimeters in length. The stupa was decorated with Indo-Corinthian capitals , "Indo-Persian" capitals, and capitals of

106-678: A captain in the 43rd Regiment of Foot on 5 May 1808 shortly before his appointment as aide-de-camp to Sir Arthur Wellesley in July 1808. Somerset accompanied Wellesley's Army when it was sent to Portugal later that month. Somerset fought at the Second Battle of Porto in May 1809, the Battle of Talavera in July 1809 and the Battle of Bussaco (where he was wounded) in September 1810. He

159-521: A challenge to Simpson as he had little information about Sebastopol. He occasionally spoke with Mr. Day of Day and Son about the need to have sketches drawn at the front. Shortly thereafter, Colnaghi's contacted Simpson and invited him to go out to the Crimea and make sketches for the company. Simpson arrived off the Crimean peninsula on 15 November 1854 and could hear distant firing. While he had missed

212-599: A few years, he was working as an apprentice in the Glasgow lithographic firm of Macfarlane. The artist stated later that "this was the turning point which changed all my boyish intentions." In Glasgow he attended the Andersonian University and the Mechanics' institute in the evenings, hearing lectures on science and engineering. These institutions provided educational lectures to working men. After

265-463: A great deal on a book of that kind, and in the event of being apprehended, could make a cigarette of the sketch and smoke it before the eyes of one's accusers.". In early August, he observed the arrival of the wounded after the Battle of Forbach-Spicheren . Later while sketching a coach, he was surrounded by soldiers and arrested on suspicion of being a spy but he convinced the French authorities that he

318-503: A lasting memorial of affectionate regard and respect. A blue plaque was erected outside Raglan's house at Stanhope Gate in London in 1911. On 6 August 1814 Somerset married Lady Emily Harriet Wellesley-Pole (daughter of William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington , and niece of the Duke of Wellington). They had three sons, and two daughters: Raglan was portrayed by John Gielgud in

371-588: A reasonable prospect of success". An Anglo-French force under the joint command of Somerset and General Jacques St. Arnaud defeated General Alexander Menshikov 's Russian army at the Battle of the Alma in September 1854. During the campaign Raglan had the abstracted habit of referring to the Russian enemies as "the French". While this eccentricity is often cited as evidence of his unsuitability for high command, he did in fact speak fluent French and relations between

424-677: The Illustrated London News published a special folio volume on the British expedition to Abyssinia containing many of Simpson's and Baigrie's drawings. In 1870, Simpson went to France to sketch the war with Prussia . On 25 July, he headed for the front by going from Nancy to Metz . In Metz, several journalists had already been arrested on suspicion of spying, and Simpson had to be careful while making his sketches. He had to be creative in getting his sketches to London, and began using cigarette papers. As he said: "One could do

477-611: The 1st Guards on 25 July 1814 and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 2 January 1815. Somerset also saw action during the Hundred Days : he served on Wellington's staff at the Battle of Quatre Bras on 16 June 1815 and at the Battle of Waterloo two days later where he had to have his right arm amputated (and then demanded his arm back so he could retrieve the ring that his wife had given him). Faced with

530-507: The 53rd Regiment of Foot and then as honorary colonel of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards (The Blues) . Cefntilla Court , Llandenny was built as a lasting memorial to Somerset in 1858: an inscription over the porch there reads: This house with 238 acres of land was purchased by 1623 of the friends, admirers and comrades in arms of the late Field Marshal Lord Raglan GCB and presented by them to his son and his heirs for ever in

583-725: The Afghan Boundary Commission . It was his last major trip abroad. Having spent the winter on the Afghan border, he set off for London in February 1885. As a result, he narrowly missed the Panjdeh incident in March, in which several hundred Afghans were killed by the advancing Russian army. Simpson reached London, therefore, at a time of great interest in the Boundary Commission and feverish speculation about

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636-675: The Battle of Nivelle in November 1813. They also fought together at the Battle of the Nive in December 1813, the Battle of Orthez in February 1814 and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814. Following Wellington's appointment as British Ambassador during the short period of Bourbon restoration, Somerset assumed a role as his secretary at the Embassy on 5 July 1814. Somerset transferred to

689-461: The Himalayas , Kashmir and Madras . In February, 1862, he left Bombay and arrived in London only to find that Day and Son could not afford to produce a portfolio. Nevertheless, a large volume of coloured lithographs was published under the title India Ancient and Modern . He was commissioned by Day & Son to visit these parts of India and record the places affected by the momentous events of

742-824: The Jalalabad Valley. While the Peshawar Valley Field Force was encamped at Jalalabad and later Gandamak , Simpson was allowed to have some soldiers to help him excavate Ahin Posh Tope and several other sites. As he excavated the Ahin Posh stupa in February 1879, he cleared the base of the stupa and dug a tunnel to the centre, where he discovered important relics and deposits, now in the British Museum . He also made drawing reconstitutions based on his findings. On one occasion, he

795-510: The 'Mutiny' of 1857. Before leaving, he spent 'a considerable time in the library of India House, then in Leadenhall Street, looking over books about India, such as Daniels', to see what had been already done, and to get hints as to places I ought to visit'. The set of lithographs produced, based on his watercolours, was intended to rival David Roberts ' The Holy Land in scope. However, the project never came to fruition, following

848-666: The British and French allied army gained a victory at the Battle of Inkerman in November 1854 and Raglan was promoted to the rank of field marshal on 5 November 1854. He was also awarded the Ottoman Empire Order of the Medjidie , 1st Class on 15 May 1855. Raglan was blamed by the press and the government for the sufferings of the British soldiers in the terrible Crimean winter during the Siege of Sevastopol owing to shortages of food and clothing although this, in part,

901-578: The British troops sent to the Crimea with the temporary rank of full general on 21 February 1854 and was promoted to the substantive rank of full general on 20 June 1854. While Raglan's primary objective was to defend Constantinople he was ordered by the Duke of Newcastle , who was at the time Secretary of State for War , to besiege the Russian port of Sevastopol "unless it could not be undertaken with

954-736: The Forces in January 1827 Somerset became Military Secretary in August 1827. He stood down from Parliament in 1829 and was promoted to lieutenant-general on 28 June 1838. Advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 24 September 1852, he became Master-General of the Ordnance on 30 September 1852 and was raised to the peerage as Baron Raglan of Raglan in the County of Monmouthshire on 11 October 1852. Raglan became commander of

1007-665: The Ionic order typical of the Roman period . Some of the Indo-Corinthian capitals had Buddhas seated among the foliage. A relic deposit compartment was found at the center of the stupa Ahin Posh, which was reached by a tunnel dug by Simpson. The deposit included a Gandharan golden amulet inset with garnets , in which two coins were found: one of Wima Kadphises and one of Kanishka. Overall, numerous coins of Kushan kings were found in

1060-482: The central deposit compartment: ten coins of Wima Kadphises (c. 113–127 CE), six coins of Kanishka I , including one with an image of the standing Buddha , and one coin of Huvishka (circa 150–190 CE). Roman coins were also found in the deposit: a gold aureus of Roman emperor Domitian (81–96 CE), a gold coin of the Roman emperor Trajan (98-117 CE) and a gold aureus of Sabina , wife of Hadrian (117-138 CE). In

1113-499: The coin of Sabina, she is entitled "Agusta", a title she received in 117 CE, at the time Hadrian was proclaimed Emperor. Therefore, the final dedication of the Ahin Posh stupa necessarily occurred after this date, probably during the few decades after 120 CE. This deposit now forms part of the collections of the British Museum . William Simpson (Scottish artist) William Simpson (28 October 1823 – 17 August 1899)

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1166-666: The difficulties in dressing following the amputation, he invented the so-called Raglan sleeve , sewn from the collar rather than the shoulder. Promoted to colonel and appointed an aide-de-camp to the Prince Regent on 28 August 1815, he was appointed a Knight of the Bavarian Military Order of Max Joseph on 3 October 1815. He remained with the Army of Occupation in France until May 1816 when he returned to

1219-505: The early battles, he was able to record the events before Sebastopol. He made numerous acquaintances who helped him with details for his pictures, but he was also struck by the plight of the common soldiers, "miserable looking beings...covered with mud, dirt, and rags," he wrote. He socialised with many officers, including Lord Raglan and Captain Peel; he also met Roger Fenton who took his photograph. In May 1855, Simpson accompanied Raglan on

1272-573: The excavations of Schliemann . On 15 October 1878, Simpson left London en route to Afghanistan to provide illustrations of the Second Anglo-Afghan War . Travelling via Lahore and Peshawar , he passed through the Khyber Pass and witnessed the 'first shot' fired at the Battle of Ali Masjid . He became friendly with Sir Louis Cavagnari who encouraged Simpson with his explorations of ancient Buddhist stupas in and around

1325-450: The expedition to Kertch which was captured on the 24th, but was back in time to observe the first attack on Sebastopol in June. On the night of the 17th, he crawled out of a trench to view the attack. He wrote, "It was a wild orchestra of sound, never to be forgotten." He was still at the front when the city surrendered, and he quit the Crimea in the autumn of 1855. Throughout his time at

1378-407: The financial collapse of Day & Son, due to the rise of wood engraving. By 1866, Simpson had delivered 250 watercolours to Day & Son and these were subsequently sold off as bankrupt stock. Only 50 had been prepared as chromolithographs, and were published in 1867 as India Ancient and Modern. A series of illustrations of the country and people of India and adjacent territories. For Simpson this

1431-545: The first to mount the breach and by helping to secure the surrender of the French Governor and was duly promoted to lieutenant colonel on 27 April 1812. Somerset went on to fight with Wellington at the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812, the Siege of Burgos in September 1812 and the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813 as well as the Siege of San Sebastián in July 1813, the Battle of the Pyrenees in July 1813 and

1484-661: The following month, a second series was announced. In all, the Colnaghis produced two large portfolios containing over eighty lithographs entitled The Seat of the War in the East . Two thousand copies of the complete set were produced. Simpson dedicated the series to Queen Victoria whose patronage he enjoyed for the rest of his life, and he was a frequent visitor to Windsor Castle and Balmoral . So popular were his pictures that he became affectionately known at 'Crimean Simpson'. There

1537-567: The fortifications and the events of the Paris Commune . He was back in London by 11 June 1871. In 1872, William Simpson left for a long trip to Egypt, China, Japan & USA. The sketches he made were engraved for the Illustrated London News, and were reproduced using the heliotype process in a volume named Meeting the sun: a journey all round the world through Egypt, China, Japan and California, including an account of

1590-471: The front, he would send back his watercolours to London where the lithographers of Day & Son would transfer them to stone. Simpson was paid 20 pounds for each picture. For the colour, a separate stone was used for each tone. Colnaghis exhibited some of the watercolours including a show at the Graphic Society in February 1855. The first advertisements for the lithographs appeared in May 1855 and in

1643-759: The lava beds at the California/Oregon border to make sketches of the Modoc War . His sketch of the Canby/Thomas assassination scene was the signature graphic representation of the 1873 Modoc War. In 1874, he was elected an Associate of the (soon to be Royal) Institute of Painters in Water Colours . In 1875, he accompanied the Prince of Wales to India, and arrived in Mumbai on 30 October. The tour

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1696-597: The marriage ceremonies of the emperor of China .  In Beijing he sketched the Chinese Emperor 's wedding festivities. In 1873, Simpson happened to be in San Francisco when, on 11 April, Kintpuash ('Captain Jack') and his Modoc followers murdered Brigadier-General Edward Canby and Methodist minister Eleazar Thomas at a peace parley. Simpson interrupted his world tour and journeyed up to Tule Lake and

1749-520: The marriage of the Czarevich, afterward Emperor Alexander III . Simpson became a “special artist”, illustrating the news for the paper. In 1868, Simpson travelled to Abyssinia covering the British expedition to Abyssinia . Initially, his employer, The Illustrated London News used sketches supplied by one of the soldiers on campaign, Colonel Baigrie, but as his pictures were mostly landscapes,

1802-542: The ninth and youngest son of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort and his wife Elizabeth (daughter of Admiral Edward Boscawen ), Somerset was educated at Westminster School and was commissioned as a cornet in the 4th Light Dragoons on 16 June 1804. Promoted to lieutenant on 1 June 1805, Somerset accompanied Sir Arthur Paget on his visit to Sultan Selim III of the Ottoman Empire , who had been aligning himself too closely with France, in 1807. He became

1855-624: The offices of the Illustrated London News on the Strand and collected all his sketches and watercolours which he proceeded to mount in two large albums. He also presented several papers to various learned societies on such aspects as Buddhist prayer wheels , sculptured topes and ancient remains in the Jalalabad Valley. In the same year he was elected a full member of the Institute of Painters in Water Colours . In 1884, Simpson returned to Afghanistan with General Sir Peter Lumsden as part of

1908-619: The outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854, he was given the task of creating an image of the Alma based on various accounts so that it could be lithographed by another London publisher, Lloyd's. He also put sketches sent from the Baltic onto stone for the firm of Colnaghi . In anticipation of the fall of Sebastopol , Lloyd's had him prepare an image of the fall of the town so that it could be published upon news of its actual capture. This presented

1961-637: The paper felt that Simpson could add more life to the accounts of the war. The artist arrived at Suez on 18 June 1868, but by the time he neared the front, news came that Magdala had fallen to the Anglo-Indian force. Nonetheless, he was able to observe the retreat of the Abyssinian army, and the remains of the royal quarters of Emperor Tewodros II at Magdala, which had been looted by the British Army. He arrived back at Dover on 2 July 1868 and

2014-588: The possibility of war with Russia. He received invitations to visit Lord Granville , then the Foreign Secretary , as well as various members of the royal family . Throughout the following decade, Simpson continued his travels on behalf of his newspaper covering such events as royal weddings and coronations. In 1890, he observed the opening of the Forth Bridge and caught a chill which was to have detrimental effects on his health. William Simpson

2067-637: The post of secretary at the British Embassy in Paris . Somerset was elected Tory Member of Parliament for Truro in 1818 and became Wellington's secretary in the latter's new capacity as Master-General of the Ordnance in 1819. Somerset lost his seat at the general election in 1820 but, having been promoted to major-general on 27 May 1825, regained his seat in Parliament in 1826. Following Wellington's appointment as Commander-in-Chief of

2120-590: The two allies in the field were good. At the Battle of Balaclava in October 1854, Raglan issued an order to the Earl of Lucan , his cavalry commander, who in turn ordered the Earl of Cardigan , a subordinate commander who happened to be Lucan's brother-in-law and who detested him, to lead the fateful Charge of the Light Brigade leading to some 278 British casualties. Despite an indecisive result at Balaclava

2173-436: Was a British Army officer. When a junior officer, he served in the Peninsular War and the Waterloo campaign , latterly as military secretary to the Duke of Wellington . He also took part in politics as Tory Member of Parliament for Truro , before becoming Master-General of the Ordnance . He became commander of the British troops sent to the Crimea in 1854: his primary objective was to defend Constantinople , and he

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2226-483: Was a 'special artist'. At the police station, his sketches were examined, and he was finally released. Upon news of the surrender at Sedan , Simpson travelled to sketch the battlefield from the windows of a nearby chateau. In November 1870, he returned to London but was back in France in April 1871 to observe the events around Paris, where he was once again suspected of spying but was allowed to go free. On 27 April, he visited Paris and spent four weeks there, sketching

2279-508: Was a British artist, war artist and war correspondent . Born into poverty in Glasgow , Simpson went on to become one of the leading 'special artists' of his day, and sketched many scenes of war, culture and architecture around the world, for the Illustrated London News . His early years were difficult, living in a house with an abusive and alcoholic father, and in 1834 he was sent to live with his grandmother in Perth . Simpson's only formal schooling took place during this period and within

2332-461: Was a member of a number of different organisations, reflecting his interests. Simpson married late in life to Maria Eliza Burt herself a portrait painter, and had one daughter, Ann Penelope born in 1884, who eventually emigrated to Australia. He died at home in Willesden , North London, on 17 August 1899 aged 75, and was buried in Highgate Cemetery . Besides his war pictures, he covered state events, coronations, funerals, and other ceremonies. He

2385-556: Was a plan for the watercolours to be purchased for the nation but this came to nothing and they were sold off by the Colnaghi's. In 1857, he was sent to India to sketch scenes relating to the recent Sepoy Revolt , which is also described as the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The idea was to produce an illustrated publication similar to the Crimean portfolio, and Simpson had discussed the possibility with Mr. Day. The artist arrived at Calcutta on 29 October 1859, and travelled in Punjab , Sutlej , Bengal , Lucknow and Cawnpore , central India,

2438-513: Was also ordered to besiege the Russian port of Sevastopol . After an early success at the Battle of the Alma , a failure to deliver orders with sufficient clarity caused the fateful Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava . Despite further success at the Battle of Inkerman , a poorly coordinated allied assault on Sevastopol in June 1855 was a complete failure. Raglan died later that month, after having dysentery and depression . Born at Badminton House in Gloucestershire as

2491-418: Was appointed acting military secretary to Wellington in November 1810 and fought with him at the Battle of Pombal in March 1811, the Battle of Sabugal in April 1811 and the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in May 1811. Promoted to brevet major on 9 June 1811, he also took part in the Battle of El Bodón in September 1811. He specially distinguished himself at the storming of Badajoz in March 1812 by being

2544-420: Was decided to send a mission to Kabul , Simpson applied to go but was turned down. His primary interest in accompanying the mission was to visit the giant Buddhas at Bamyan , but had he gone to Kabul, he probably would have been killed liked the rest of the mission . It was this event which precipitated the second part of the war. Simpson returned to London in the summer of 1879. Upon his arrival, he visited

2597-482: Was designed to strengthen ties between Britain and India, which was then ruled by the British Crown. The Prince collected a large number of items of Indian art during the tour, which were often presented to him by various local rulers during receptions and events. William Simpson wrote about the tour in his autobiography: "I have often described the Prince's tour in India as four months of the Lord Mayor's show". In 1877, visited Athens , Mycenae and Troy , to document

2650-406: Was little consolation: 'So the great work on India, on which I had bestowed so much time and labour, never came into existence...'. In 1866, Simpson was contacted by The Illustrated London News to do some sketches of the Prince of Wales, on a visit to the Duke of Sutherland at Dunrobin Castle . Afterwards, the paper asked him to go to St. Petersburg and cover the Prince of Wales's attendance at

2703-587: Was particularly interested in India and sketched scenes of the Kashmir Maharajas . He was a noted ethnographer and antiquarian, and wrote extensively on ancient religions, customs, and ancient artifacts. It is said that the Queen intervened to prevent him from going out to Italy in 1859, to cover the Austro-Sardinian War , for fear that he would get killed. FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan Field Marshal FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan , GCB , PC (30 September 1788 – 28 June 1855), known before 1852 as Lord FitzRoy Somerset ,

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2756-421: Was shot at by an Afghan but the bullet just missed. At Gandamak , he met the photographer John Burke and his counterpart at The Graphic , Frederic Villiers , and after the departure of Archibald Forbes , Simpson took over the task of supplying the Daily News with accounts of the campaign. In May 1879, he observed the signing of a peace treaty at Gandamak which ended the war for the time being. When it

2809-565: Was the fault of the home authorities who failed to provide adequate logistical support. A piecemeal allied assault on Sevastopol on 18 June 1855 was a complete failure. The anxieties of the siege began to seriously undermine Raglan's health and he died unexpectedly on 28 June 1855, while suffering with dysentery and depression . His body was embalmed, his heart buried in the garden of his headquarters in Sevastopol, and his body brought home and interred at St Michael and All Angels Church, Badminton . Raglan had also served as honorary colonel of

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