Second World War Art

HMS Glorious in the Arctic, 1940, by Eric Ravilious
HMS Glorious in the Arctic, 1940, by Eric Ravilious

Eric Ravilious became one of the War Artists Advisory Committee’s first official war artists in 1940. This watercolour is typical of Ravilious in the stylised simplicity of form, as well as in the use of texture and cross-hatching for both sky and sea.
Convalescent Nurses Making Camouflage Nets, 1941, by Evelyn Dunbar
Convalescent Nurses Making Camouflage Nets, 1941, by Evelyn Dunbar

Evelyn Dunbar was commissioned to paint the experiences of the Women’s Land Army, the Auxiliary Territorial Service and the nursing services. Women adapting to unfamiliar tasks amidst the circumstances of war is a recurring theme in her paintings.
Glass-blowers 'Gathering' from the Furnace, 1943, by Mervyn Peake
Glass-blowers 'Gathering' from the Furnace, 1943, by Mervyn Peake

Glass blowers are gathering molten glass as part of the production of cathode ray oscillation tubes. By 1943 7,000 tubes were being produced each week. Mervyn Peake was fascinated by the manufacturing process and by the balletic skills of the workforce.
Southern England, 1944. Spitfires Attacking Flying-Bombs, by Thomas Monnington
Southern England, 1944. Spitfires Attacking Flying-Bombs, by Thomas Monnington

Before being employed as a war artist, Monnington had worked at the Directorate of Camouflage. In this painting, modern war machines fly through a scene taken from a Constable painting, relegating the countryside to a backdrop to their deathly conflict.
Parachute Drop, 1943, by Henry Carr
Parachute Drop, 1943, by Henry Carr

Henry Carr painted scenes of London during the blackout and undertook official portrait commissions. Later employed as a war artist, he followed Allied forces through North Africa. This painting shows paratroopers in the process of landing in Algeria.
VE-Day Celebrations Outside Buckingham Palace, 1945, by Leila Faithfull
VE-Day Celebrations Outside Buckingham Palace, 1945, by Leila Faithfull

Leila Faithfull was commissioned to paint WVS subjects in 1940. She later requested to travel to Italy, Egypt or Palestine but was declined. This work from 1945 shows civilians gathered under the trees outside Buckingham Palace, celebrating VE-Day.

Main menu

Skip to content

Secondary menu

IWM London
London
Open daily 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5.45pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December

Admission is free
Special exhibitions may charge an admission fee
- What's On
- Visiting Information
IWM Duxford
Cambridgeshire
Open daily

Summer 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm

Winter 10am - 4pm
Last admission 3pm

Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
- What's On
- Visiting Information
HMS Belfast
London
HMS Belfast is currently closed and will reopen on 18 May.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. For further information see Visiting Information
- What's On
- Visiting Information
Churchill War Rooms
London
Open daily 9.30am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
- What's On
- Visiting Information
IWM North
Manchester
Open daily 10am - 5pm
Last admission 4.30pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December

Admission is free
- What's On
- Visiting Information

Help the RAF - Join the WAAF

IWM Non Commercial Licence

The media for this item are free to reuse for non-commercial purposes under the IWM Non Commercial Licence. Video, sound and images can be embedded with the code we offer here, and images can also be downloaded.

By downloading any images or embedding any media, you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is: © IWM (Art.IWM PST 2831)

Download this item

Embed HTML
<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk//collections/item/object/10226" target="_blank"><img alt="Help the RAF - Join the WAAF" class="" src="http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/143/media-143002/standard.jpg?action=e" /></a> <span>Help the RAF - Join the WAAF<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/corporate/privacy-copyright" target="_blank">© IWM (Art.IWM PST 2831)</a></span>

Embed BBCode
[url=http://www.iwm.org.uk//collections/item/object/10226][img]http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/143/media-143002/large.jpg?action=e[/img][/url] [url=http://www.iwm.org.uk//collections/item/object/10226]Help the RAF - Join the WAAF. © IWM (Art.IWM PST 2831)[/url][url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/corporate/privacy-copyright/licence]IWM Non Commercial Licence[/url]
Download this item

Embed HTML
<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk//collections/item/object/10226" target="_blank"><img alt="Help the RAF - Join the WAAF" class="" src="http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/192/media-192655/standard.jpg?action=e" /></a> <span>Help the RAF - Join the WAAF<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/corporate/privacy-copyright" target="_blank">© IWM (Art.IWM PST 2831)</a></span>

Embed BBCode
[url=http://www.iwm.org.uk//collections/item/object/10226][img]http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/192/media-192655/large.jpg?action=e[/img][/url] [url=http://www.iwm.org.uk//collections/item/object/10226]Help the RAF - Join the WAAF. © IWM (Art.IWM PST 2831)[/url][url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/corporate/privacy-copyright/licence]IWM Non Commercial Licence[/url]

1/Array
2/Array

© IWM (Art.IWM PST 2831)

Catalogue number

Art.IWM PST 2831

Subject period

Second World War

Place made

Great Britain

Materials

medium: lithograph
support: paper

Dimensions

Support: Height 759 mm
Support: Width 502 mm

Alternative Names

object category: Poster

Creator

Games, Abram (artist)
WOMEN'S AUXILIARY AIR FORCE (publisher/sponsor)

Category

posters

This item is available to share and reuse under the terms of the IWM Non Commercial Licence.

Object description

whole: the image occupies the whole. The title is integrated and positioned in the upper quarter, in white, black, and in purple outlined white. The text is integrated and placed across the bottom edge, in white. image: a three-quarter length depiction of a young woman in Women's Auxiliary Air Force uniform, smiling and looking to her right. Above her right shoulder three fighter aircraft fly in formation. text: A. GAMES HELP THE R.A.F JOIN THE WAAF APPLY WAAF RECRUITING OFFICE 51-7152

Physical description

51-7152.

Inscription

993

Associated people and organisations

Associated places

Associated events

Associated themes

Associated keywords