Christopher Richard Wynne NEVINSON

[sjustice]

'lo all,

While perusing another thread HERE I was introduced to Nevinson's work. It was an epiphany for me. I don't think I have been so stricken by a war artist before. He appears to have an eye for all aspects of The Great War so there should be something for everyone here.

This is his Night Arrivals

Visit a gallery of Nevinson's work at California State University - World Image Kiosk

Kind Regards,

SMJ

[Jonathan Saunders]

I think if you like Nevinson then you should almost certainly enjoy Otto Dix.

[sjustice]

Dix's work doesn't appeal to me on the same level. I do like his sketches though, particularly. They are brutal and raw. His painting I find a tad surreal for my taste, even if the subject matter suits his approach. It's certainly dark.

SMJ

[bushfighter]

Simon

Thank you for showing us Nevinson's work. Please do likewise for other war artists you know.

Regards

Harry

[spike10764]

If you use a search of history>warfare>World War 1 you get a very good selection of Great War art works on this site....

Great War Art

[SiegeGunner]

I had heard of Nevinson as a member of the circle of artistic friends of the poet T E Hulme, but had never (knowingly) seen his work, which immediately put me in mind of the paintings of Wyndham Lewis and the sculpture of Henri Gaudier. A quick look in Hulme's biography confirms that they all knew one another and shared interests and influences. Everyone who researches WW1 history needs an alternative interest, and I'm very grateful to Simon and Spike for pointing me in this direction. As a bonus, googling Nevinson reveals that in WW1 he was an RAMC orderly at the 3rd London General Hospital, which is a couple of miles from where I live. I'm currently in the process of photographing all the headstones in the military plots at Earlsfield (Wandsworth) cemetery, where 3rd London General buried its dead, so it's possible that Nevinson knew and cared for some of these men. As Simon eloquently put it — an epiphany!

Mick

[sjustice]

I had heard of Nevinson as a member of the circle of artistic friends of the poet T E Hulme... googling Nevinson reveals that in WW1 he was an RAMC orderly at the 3rd London General Hospital, which is a couple of miles from where I live....

Mick

An interesting trail, Mick, with a parallel to myself. Another of my favourite war artists, Sir Stanley Spencer RA, was an RAMC orderly at Beafort War Hospital in Bristol (which had become a center for orthopaedic excellence by 1919) from about the outbreak of war to being posted to Salonika in 1916. I was born a couple of miles from it and my first paper round encompassed the dwellings that surrounded it. Renamed 'Glenside' it had again taken up it's role as a psychiatric hospital by the time I was regularly trudging past. Spencer's paintings reflecting his time at the Beaufort have a haunting quality second to none and his work does have some similarity to Nevinson.

My first job on leaving school was as an operating department orderly at Frenchay Hospital which was about 400 yards from my house. O that I had the talent of Nevinson and Spencer and my later work places were as close!

SMJ

[Dragon]

Have you come across Imperial War Museum Collections Online? Try 'Search the Art database'.

Searching on just "Nevinson" brings up a great range. The text which accompanies the pictures is interesting.

I like the section on contemporary war artists too. So many more media available now.

Gwyn

[michaeldr]

"First world war painting expected to reach up to £1m at Sotheby's"

see https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/oct/30/first-world-war-painting-expected-to-reach-up-to-1m-at-sothebys

 

It's a pity that the Guardian seems to have flipped the illustration

[compare with the BM's print http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?assetId=342081001&objectId=700579&partId=1 ]

More of his prints in the BM collection can be seen here http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?people=113317&peoA=113317-3-9

Edited 30 October , 2017 by michaeldr

[Andrew Upton]

16 hours ago, michaeldr said:

It's a pity that the Guardian seems to have flipped the illustration

[compare with the BM's print http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?assetId=342081001&objectId=700579&partId=1 ]

 

The print appears to be the flipped one - note the writing on the wall on the original is the correct way round, and the principal soldiers coat is shown buttoned left over right. In the print the writing is omitted, and the coat now buttons the "wrong" way.

[michaeldr]

Many thanks for that correction Andrew

[Captain RHW]

Nevinson's autobiography, Paint and Prejudice, is well worth seeking out.  British Library have a copy, otherwise eBay/Amazon might help. He was quite a bitter sort, who seemed to want to refight old arguments decades after their natural conclusion, though given what he went through one might have some sympathy. 

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Two excellent collections of his War pictures were published during the War - Modern War & The Great War Forth Year. The colour plate at the start of each volume was signed by Nevinson which makes them rather expensive today.