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.

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Can I Come Home Please?
(Books, Children)
Using taped interviews from the Imperial War Museum's extensive Sound Archive, Phil Robins has gathered together this compelling collection of first-hand accounts from people who grew up during the Second World War. Illustrated with many...
The Blitz (Beginning History S.)
(Books, Children)
A bright, colourful book which assumes no previous knowledge, for children of 5-7 years. The book combines historical artwork with short, easy-to-read text suitable for less experienced readers. With a clean, fresh design, clear captions and index, the...
Cromwell Cruiser Tank 194250
(Land, Tanks)
The Cromwell Cruiser tank was designed as a result, and soon proved itself one of the fastest and most successful tanks deployed by the Allies during World War 2. This book details the design and development of the Cromwell and its many variants, from...
German Destroyers 193945
(Sea, Ships)
The German destroyer fleet of World War II consisted of nine classes: the Diether Von Roeder Class, the Leberecht Maas Class and the wartime classes Z23, Z35, Z37, Z40, Z43, Z46 and Z52. These vessels, though fewer in number than the British destroyer...

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What we’re collecting « IWM War Story Blog

What we’re collecting « IWM War Story Blog Home What we’re collecting Afghanistan in Context IWM War Story Blog Imperial War Museum project to encourage servicemen and women to record their personal stories relating to contemporary conflict Feeds: Posts...