Artwork
The Old Front Line, St Eloi, Ypres Salient
The Old Front Line, St Eloi, Ypres Salient is a watercolor work on paper by Paul Nash. It dates from 1917 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Paul Nash painted this watercolor in 1917. It shows a First World War battlefield scene near St Eloi, Ypres Salient. The army used it to pick him as an Official War Artist.
The museum says Nash’s style had a strange, dream-like mood. They link it to artists like William Blake and Samuel Palmer.
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Overview
The Old Front Line, St Eloi, Ypres Salient is a 1917 watercolour by Paul Nash, depicting a First World War battlefield scene near St Eloi in the Ypres Salient. This work contributed to Nash's appointment as an Official War Artist in 1917.
Subject & Meaning
The watercolour captures the desolate landscape of a war-torn area, conveying the harsh realities of conflict through Nash's distinctive, mystical approach.
Technique & Style
Nash's style in this piece is characterized by a dream-like, strange mood, aligning with a tradition of mystical artists such as William Blake and Samuel Palmer.
History & Provenance
Created in 1917, the watercolour was instrumental in Nash's first appointment as Official War Artist. He would hold this title again in 1940 during the Second World War.
Context
Part of a broader body of work from Nash's time in France with the Artists’ Rifles, the piece reflects the artist's experience and perspective on the First World War's front lines.
Legacy
As part of Nash's war art, The Old Front Line contributes to the broader legacy of First World War art, with Nash's work later influencing subsequent generations of artists.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul Nash (11 May 1889 – 11 July 1946) was a British surrealist painter and war artist, as well as a photographer, writer and designer of applied art.
