Cromwell on his Farm [SEP] creator
Cromwell on his Farm
Cromwell on his Farm (1874) is a painting by Ford Madox Brown which depicts Oliver Cromwell observing a bonfire on his farm and thinking of a passage in the Book of Psalms: "Lord, how long wilt thou hide thyself - forever? And shall thy wrath burn like fire?" (Psalm 89). The words are inscribed on the painting's frame along with a quotation from one of Cromwell's speeches, in which he describes his life before entering into politics: "living neither
of battle and this character flaw explains the Massacre at Drogheda (1649) and much of his conduct fighting the Irish during the English Civil War. His other main character fault was to see events as the result of "providence" which can easily led him into self-justification of his sometimes harsh decisions. The decision to kill Charles I happened (according to Cromwell) because it was willed by God. Cromwell saw himself as the instrument of his creator and as often delaying making decisions because he was looking for "signs