In the late 19th century, painting was centred on Paris. But in 1870-71, the city was all but destroyed after a long siege, in the Franco-Prussian War. The story told in paintings.
war artist
He first painted rural workers, in a distinctive earth palette. Then came the war, which changed everything.
His final series of Landscapes of the Moon and Aerial Flowers are among his most visionary, and refer to much of his previous work, and that of William Blake.
Appointed as a full-time war artist to the RAF, he was expected to paint portraits of aircrew. He had other, much better ideas.
Landscapes influenced by Blake and Palmer, then some of the strongest images of the First World War. The start of a remarkable career.
There’s a lot more to this painting than first meets the eye: a bit of Brueghel, some Leighton, and even some Signorelli.
Uniquely, he worked as a surgeon before becoming a full-time painter. He eventually became Slade Professor too.
He specialised in showing the human impact of war, on the combatants, and civilians.
War Artists can work in any of the genres, but history painting is a natural choice. Here are some of the best from 1800 to 1945.
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