Commemorating Conflict - (Page 4 of 4)

The Barricade at St Denis by Nicolas Edward Gabé records an event which took place in St Denis in 1848, when a young woman gave her life in one of the battles of Revolutionary France. The heroine is shown at the height of her protest before she fell, dead, onto the barricade. While commemorating her actions, the artist is presenting her unscathed, impressive and brave in order to generate sympathy for her cause.

A different act of commemoration is the 2.5m x 2m patchwork. It was made by members of the Prince of Wales' 98th North Staffordshire Regiment to commemorate battle victories which created colonies for Britain in the time of Queen Victoria. It was not made by an artist, but by serving soldiers, possibly from pieces of military uniform. It features regimental colours and celebrates two of their victories, one in China and one in the Punjab. Which do you think is the more poignant and immediate: the painting or the patchwork? Why?