Illustrations of the Ruin and Conquest of Britain

General Comments

Of the black and white paintings here, all are taken from the book Hutchinson's Story of the British Nation, published (on the basis of textual evidence) in the 1920s. There are other illustrations from this time period in this book as well, but they are too fanciful to reproduce here. I have also taken the liberty of reproducing "King Caedwalla attacking the Isle of Wight, 686" as "King Creoda attacking the Isle of Wight, 534".

The black and white photo (for c.500) actually shows a Roman cavalryman, and is a relief in the Antonine wall erected in 143 A.D.

The colour paintings appeared in the children's magazine (yes, I was the child) Look and Learn. Three appeared in issues 872 and 873 (1978), as part of the series After the Legions Left. A fourth, the painting of St. Germanus' victory, appeared in issue 761 (1976). The only discrepancy worth noting is that the appeal to Aetius shows him as middle-aged. This would have been the case had the appeal been in 446 (the traditional date, and that quoted in the magazine), but not if it was c.427, as I have taken it to be. These painting are all by Pat Nicolle. A fifth, the painting of Vortigern welcoming Hengest and Horsa, appeared in issue 910 (1979) as part of the series Two of a Kind. I do not know who the artist was.