General Lord Kitchener saluting as he rides past Boer leaders who stand, doffing their hats, 1902

Oil on canvas by Johann Nepomuk Schönberg, 1902.

General (later Field Marshal) Lord Kitchener (1850-1916) was one of the leading celebrities of the Boer War (1899-1902) and it was his public reputation that made him ideal for a recruiting poster on the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.

Johann Schönberg was an artist-reporter in South Africa for the British illustrated newspaper 'The Sphere'. Posing as a neutral German reporter (he was born in Austria) he worked behind Boer lines and the drawings he sent back to London provided a unique perspective for British readers. However, his cover was blown when 'The Sphere' sent him a telegram ending 'London requests you to remain', and he quickly returned to England.