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Date: |
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Description: | C.R.W. Nevinson 1916
image: a column of French infantrymen march swiftly from left to right. They are distinctive in their uniforms and peaked
caps, their limbs merging into one big mass of straight lines.
The body of inseparable, marching soldiers, grimly driving and being driven on, was a theme Nevinson explored under
various titles in oil, drypoint, pastel, charcoal and, in an illustration in ‘Blast’, either pen and ink or woodcut. Clearly, he believed
he was describing an essential aspect of the War as he had witnessed it. Although there is no obvious force that moves them on – legs and
arms are reduced to blurs – equally there is no means of escape or let-up. The contrast with the happy marching men of contemporary
recruiting posters is striking and emphasizes the dread of Nevinson’s imagery.
The body of inseparable, marching men was a theme Nevinson explored in a variety of media. The French soldiers seem
trapped in the exercise, their individuality lost in the blur of movement. The contrast with the happy marching men of contemporary posters
is striking and demonstrates the sombre reality of army life that Nevinson witnessed during the War. This was the first of the soldier
images exhibited at the London Group exhibition in March 1915. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | 01/3(4-15) French Army Weapons Western Front 1914-1918 Military Personnel French Army 1914-1918 Uniforms Western Front First World War roads | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Nevinson, C R W | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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