Visitors to The Museum of London will now be treated to two brand new paintings that have been described as two of the most important works of mid-Victorian England. From 24hourmuseum.org:

Painted by Henry Nelson OÂ’Neil, Eastward Ho! (1858), and companion piece, Home Again (1859), show soldiers boarding a ship bound for the Indian Mutiny (1857-1859), and returning to their families again over a year later.

Ahh, yes. That is the same Sepoy Mutiny (or Rebellion depending upon which side you were on) that our blog’s name took inspiration from.

“As well as being exceptional examples of OÂ’NeilÂ’s work,” explained Sue Bowers, Regional Manager for the HLF in London, “these paintings are important for the stories they tell about Victorian London, when the Thames held world status as the gateway to the heart of the Empire. ”

A picture of both paintings can be seen on the Museum’s website.