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Secondary sourcePainting

Surrender of Cetewayo

Henry Marriott Paget

A Victorian engraving by Henry Marriott Paget dramatising the moment of Cetshwayo's capture by British forces.

This engraving dramatises the capture of Cetshwayo by British forces, a turning point that ended his reign.

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Black-and-white engraving on cream paper. A European officer in a pith helmet and military tunic reaches out to a bare-chested African man wearing a fringed skirt, who stands with a spear and is flanked by armed warriors holding shields. Mounted soldiers in helmets with rifles are at left, and a distant hillside with figures is at top right. Signed HMP at bottom right.
Henry Marriott Paget, Surrender of Cetewayo.

About this source

What it is

A black-and-white engraving by illustrator Henry Marriott Paget, depicting the surrender of King Cetshwayo. It shows a European officer reaching toward a bare-chested African man holding a spear, surrounded by armed warriors and mounted British soldiers.

Why it matters

This is a dramatised Victorian illustration rather than an eyewitness sketch, created to tell the story of Cetshwayo's capture for a British audience. It reveals how British illustrators portrayed the end of the Anglo-Zulu War and shaped public images of the Zulu king and his people during the imperial conflict.

Look closer

  • What differences do you notice between how the officer and the king are drawn?
  • Since the artist likely was not present, how might imagination have shaped this scene?
  • What does the image suggest about the relationship between the British and the Zulu at this moment?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Cetshwayo kaMpande on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Sepia-toned studio portrait of a man in profile facing right, wearing a dark double-breasted coat, white collar, dark tie, and a white pocket square, with a close-cropped hairstyle and a stiff band-like headdress. Plain gradient backdrop.Photograph

Primary source

Portrait of Cetshwayo kaMpande, London 1882

Alexander Bassano · 1882

Black-and-white photograph of a seated man with a band across his head, a beaded necklace, and a fur or skin cloth over his lap. He is bare-chested and bare-legged, holding a long thin stick across his knees, against a pale draped backdrop.Photograph

Primary source

Photograph of Cetshwayo kaMpande, c. 1875

c. 1875

Oil painting of a bearded man wearing a dark headring and a necklace of large white animal teeth or claws over bare shoulders and a dark fur or hide cloak, against a pale yellow and green sky. Signature and date at lower right.Painting

Primary source

Cetshwayo, King of the Zulus

Carl Rudolph Sohn · 1882

Black and white engraved print titled 'Peace Messengers from Cetewayo'. Dark silhouetted figures crowd a grassy foreground; several wear wide-brimmed hats and carry long staffs. Behind them, a large white curved shield and tall figures with feathered headdresses stand against a hatched sky.Painting

Primary source

Peace Messengers from Cetawayo

1879

Book

Secondary source

History of the Zulu War and Its Origin

Frances Ellen Colenso and Edward Durnford · 1880

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