Michael Pegum Posted 18 November , 2013 Share Posted 18 November , 2013 The painting of the battle at Landrecies on 25th August, 1914 by William Barn(e)s Wollen shows a soldier in the Grenadier Guards waving his comrades on, brandishing a rifle. He doesn't appear to have stripes on his arm or pips on his cuff. Is he an officer or a private? I thought officers began to carry rifles, to make themselves less obvious to snipers, a long time later, and I'm not sure when the officer's rank on the cuff was introduced. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 18 November , 2013 Share Posted 18 November , 2013 Michael Don't know the answer to your question on officers and rifles, but I'm pretty sure the figure in the painting is a private. The pack, the rifle and the absence of cuff insignia does it for me David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoppage Drill Posted 18 November , 2013 Share Posted 18 November , 2013 It's a private, but in any case, you wouldn't see cuff rank: Guards officers wore shoulder rank throughout the War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dman Posted 18 November , 2013 Share Posted 18 November , 2013 During Boer War officers started carrying rifles and began removing symbols of rank from their uniforms to avoid being targeted by snipers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 19 November , 2013 Share Posted 19 November , 2013 The really key change was not carrying a rifle rather than a revolver, pips on shoulder rather than on cuff nor even wearing a privates tunic but ceasing to wear riding britches. At a distance it was difficult to see the other features but the britches changed the silhouette of the man and marked him as a target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 19 November , 2013 Share Posted 19 November , 2013 I'm no expert - and don't normally post when I'm ignorant - but I too think he's a private urging his comrades on. In quite a few "battle" paintings there's often a private or two adopting dramatic poses. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 19 November , 2013 Share Posted 19 November , 2013 An almost inevitable component of many R Caton-Woodville productions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 19 November , 2013 Share Posted 19 November , 2013 An almost inevitable component of many R Caton-Woodville productions How true...can't beat them for atmosphere though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 19 November , 2013 Share Posted 19 November , 2013 Just put his name into the Google Images search box. I see what Squirrel means. Some excellent paintings of various engagements. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Pegum Posted 20 November , 2013 Author Share Posted 20 November , 2013 An almost inevitable component of many R Caton-Woodville productions Ahem - this one is by William Barnes Wollen! Many thanks for all the comments. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mk VII Posted 24 November , 2013 Share Posted 24 November , 2013 Both these artists, and many commercial illustrators, continued to produce work in the 'heroic' 19th c. tradition, which to the modern eye looks increasingly out of step with what we now know of the reality of Great War warfare. Such paintings are usually constructed around a series of visual tricks, intended to lead the viewer's eye around the painting like a dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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