Artwork
General Allenby's entry into Jerusalem The Jaffa Gate
General Allenby's entry into Jerusalem The Jaffa Gate is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist Alfred Charles Bailey. It dates from 1917 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Alfred Charles Bailey’s watercolour, dated 1917, records the ceremonial arrival of General Edmund Allenby at Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate on 11 December 1917. The composition mirrors a contemporary newspaper photograph, reproducing the moment with only slight alterations. The work entered the market at Christie’s South Kensington in April 1975, fetching £44.
Subject & Meaning
The picture captures the formal entry of the British commander into the city, showing Allenby’s entourage of mounted and foot soldiers moving through the gate while a gathered crowd observes. The Jaffa Gate, topped by its clock tower, anchors the scene, underscoring the significance of the military triumph and its public reception.
Technique & Style
Executed in transparent watercolour, Bailey employs a palette that balances earthy hues for the surrounding stone structures with vivid blues for the sky. Fine brushwork delineates the figures and architectural details, while broader washes convey atmospheric depth, emphasizing the immediacy of the historic moment.
History & Provenance
The image was produced shortly after the event and closely follows a photograph published in the Illustrated London News and The Graphic on 19 January 1918. After remaining in private hands, the watercolour was auctioned at Christie’s South Kensington in 1975, where it sold for £44.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alfred Charles Bailey carried a watercolour set like a passport. In 1917 he painted General Allenby walking through Jaffa Gate, not with pomp but with a single white horse and a tilted flag, Jerusalem felt more like a…
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