Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries

The first British official war artists’ scheme was set up by the government in 1916. Although several female artists were approached either by the British War Memorials Committee or the Ministry of Information, none of them completed commissions for the official schemes.

Imperial War Museums hold one of the most significant collections of British art anywhere in the world. It includes around 16,000 works of fine art. Here we explore ten works from various eras of conflict, by artists who breathe life into discussion of war and conflict, their work offering new ways into ideas and subjects that can, at times, be challenging. 

John Singer Sargent's iconic artwork, Gassed, is on permanent display in IWM London's Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries. The much-loved First World War painting has undergone significant conservation work which has revitalised and transformed the viewing experience of the artwork. 

Discover our Film Favourites series in which curators talk about their highlights from IWM's vast film collection. 

Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson has transformed First World War footage from IWM's extensive archive using modern production techniques for his film They Shall Not Grow Old.

Tens of thousands of soldiers went 'over the top' at 7.30am on 1 July 1916 on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Nearly 20,000 British soldiers died that day, which looms large in the collective national memory of the First World War. Cameramen Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell were there to record footage that became the cinematic sensation, Battle of the Somme.

Olive Edis was among the first women to build a career as a freelance professional photographer in Britain. 

The IWM Photograph Archive covers over 100 years of war and conflict. The five photographers featured in War Photographers - IWM Photo Collection represent professional war photography and reveal how photographs have shaped the way we visually understand the events of the twentieth century. 

Cecil Beaton is chiefly remembered as the leading British portrait and fashion photographer of his day. Less well known is the fact that Beaton was one of Britain’s hardest working war photographers during the Second World War.