People’s war : Second World War portraits

Lovely exhibition at the Imperial War Museum of portraits from the World War II  and looking at the work of the War Artists Advisory Committee which sent artists all over the country to record a cross section of people on the home front.

You entered the exhibition to a wonderful wall of 8 portraits including a lovely one of a wireless operator by Keith Henderson. The rooms were then themed gently with my favourite room being the forces room with the walls representing the army, navy, air force and women. I particularly liked Henry Carr’s portrait of Sergeant Montague, a desert rat leaning forward with a cigarette who looks you directly in the eye.

The last room looked at pictures produced in prison, concentration camps and occupied Europe and was very moving. I was particularly moved by the pictures from the Japanese POW camps due tot eh risks the men had run to create and keep them.

However my favourite picture was one of Norwegian airman, Sergeant M Eriksen, by Eric Kennngton,  a stunning picture of a blonde man in uniform against a Renaissance blue background, with bright white eyes and an amazing effect of light on his hands. Even after all these years the best description would be whoorr!

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