Elizabeth (Elizabeth Southerden Thompson) Butler

Born in Lausanne in 1846, Elizabeth Southerden Thompson later became widely known as Lady Butler. She trained as an artist in Europe and first painted religious subjects, but she found her true subject in military history, creating dramatic scenes from conflicts such as the Crimean War, the Napoleonic Wars, and later imperial campaigns.

Her breakthrough came with The Roll Call in 1874, which drew major public attention for its realism and emotional force. Rather than glorifying battle in a purely heroic way, her work often focused on exhaustion, discipline, and the human cost of war. She went on to paint some of her most famous works, including Scotland Forever! and The Defence of Rorke's Drift.

After marrying Sir William Butler in 1877, she continued painting for decades and remained closely associated with military subjects throughout her life. She published an autobiography in 1922 and died in 1933, leaving behind a body of work that still stands out for its energy, detail, and unusual place in a field then dominated by men.