Image: Cetshwayo, King of the Zulus (d. 1884), Carl Rudolph Sohn, 1882

Description: Cetshwayo, King of the Zulus (d. 1884) Creator: Carl Rudolph Sohn (1845-1908) (artist) Creation Date: Signed and dated 1882 Materials and techniques: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 69.1 x 54.6 cm Acquirer: Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1819-1901) Provenance: Painted for Queen Victoria

Description: Carl Rudolph was the son of Carl Ferdinand Sohn (1805-1867); the father was known to Queen Victoria through his portrait of the Queen of Hanover (RCIN 405078); the son was employed by members of the Royal Family 1882-6.

Cetshwayo was the nephew of the great King Shaka and succeeded his father Mpande as King of the Zulus in 1873. In the Zulu war the British at first suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the Zulus at Isandhlwana, but eventually destroyed the Zulu army at Ulundi. Cetshwayo was captured and taken into custody in 1879. Two years later he was freed and came to England, accompanied by three chiefs, when this portrait was painted. The artist had difficulty finding a set of lion’s teeth for the portrait, but located a collector who had a lion’s skull. Queen Victoria wrote in her Journal that she found Cetshwayo ‘a very fine man, in his native costume, or rather no costume…tall, immensely broad, & stout, with a good humoured countenance, & an intelligent face’.

The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1883.

Signed and dated: C.Sohn jr / 1882.
Usage Terms: Public domain