Artwork
The Pool, Ypres Salient
The Pool, 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
The Pool, Ypres Salient is a watercolour landscape by Paul Nash. It was created in 1917.
Paul Nash was appointed Official War Artist in 1917, thanks in part to watercolours like this one. He had enlisted in the Artists' Rifles at the start of the First World War and was posted to France.
To learn more about the style and influences of this work, look up the artist: Nash, Paul.
Overview
The Pool, Ypres Salient is a 1917 watercolour landscape by Paul Nash, created during his service in the First World War. This work contributed to his appointment as Official War Artist the same year.
Subject & Meaning
Depicting a serene pool within the devastated Ypres Salient, the piece juxtaposes tranquility with the implied horrors of war, evoking a mystical, contemplative atmosphere.
Technique & Style
Nash's watercolour technique in this piece blends realism with an ethereal quality, aligning with a mystical artistic lineage that includes William Blake, Samuel Palmer, and David Jones.
History & Provenance
Created in 1917 while Nash was with the Artists' Rifles in France, this watercolour was pivotal in his first appointment as Official War Artist. He would hold this position again in 1940 during the Second World War.
Context
The work reflects Nash's firsthand experience of the war's landscapes, transforming a specific, battle-scarred location into a symbol of contrast between peace and conflict.
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.
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