| Drawing for the Militia | |
| Artist: | John Phillip |
| Year: | 1849 |
| Type: | Oil on canvas, genre painting |
| Height Metric: | 122 |
| Width Metric: | 186 |
| Metric Unit: | cm |
| Imperial Unit: | in |
| Museum: | Bury Art Museum |
| City: | Greater Manchester |
Drawing for the Militia is an 1849 genre painting by the British artist John Phillip. It belongs to the first period of Phillip's career, before he switched to painting scenes of Spain.[1] It is set shortly after the French Revolution of 1789 and portrays the recruitment of the British Militia to defend against the threat of invasion.[2] A portrait of George III hangs on the left hand side of the bustling scene.
It was exhibited at the 1849 Summer Exhibition of the Royal Academy.[3] It was his only work displayed that year and was praised by the London Illustrated News.[4] Today it is the collection of the Bury Art Museum in Greater Manchester.[5] An oil sketch made in preparation for the work is now in the Aberdeen Art Gallery.[6]