Phil Jarman looks at the role of key artists during the Second World War
ART OF WAR
Working amongst the debris of blitzed buildings, artist John Piper created some memorable images showing the cost of war.
The primary objectives of war artists employed on the home front during the Second World War was to record the armed forces in action, civilians, military hardware and defences through artwork and patriotic landscapes. But for painter John Piper, an unusual role was devised by the War Artists’ Advisory Committee; to visit and record the devastation on British towns and cities immediately following the air raids at the height of the blitz. This commission enabled Piper, an accomplished painter and printmaker, to further develop his pre-war interest in recording architecture, and in particular places of worship, a direction which also reflected his religious beliefs and practice.
