War Artists

I have long been interested in the role artists played during both World Wars, particularly those that recorded war work. As well as boosting the national morale, art that depicted reserved occupations such as mining and shipbuilding helped people understand the vital work undertaken by those who were not active in the armed forces.

Stanley Spencer's paintings called 'Shipbuilding on the Clyde' included 'Welders' a detail of which is shown below:

Henry Moore produced drawings of miners at work on the pit face:

Author and illustrator Mervyn Peake was charged with painting the glassblowers at a Birmingham factory who produced the cathode ray tubes for radar sets.

But my favourite artist from this period is Dame Laura Knight. Her painting entitled 'Ruby Loftus screwing a breech ring' epitomises the skill and dedication of the women who worked in the factories.