The Great Crater, Athies
Lithographic print of original charcoal drawing, ‘The Great Crater, Athies’, by artist Sir David Muirhead Bone. This proof forms part of a green paper folder of an “edition de luxe” of signed proofs: 10 prints made from the War Drawings of Muirhead Bone. It is likely this drawing was completed behind the front lines whilst Muirhead was travelling around the front during 1916. Although executed in 1916, this print was published in 1918.
The drawing depicts the ‘Great Crater’ at Athies, a village in Northern France. The scene depicts a large area which has been hit by artillery fire, with the circular clearing surrounded by war scarred trees and the ruins of a building in the background.
Muirhead Bone travelled to France on 16 August 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. He was the first official British war artist of the First World War producing 150 drawings in six weeks. It is from this series of works which this drawing is most likely to have originated from.
Muirhead Bone (1876-1953) was a Scottish watercolourist and etcher. He was known for his depictions of wartime industrial and architectural settings. He was on the advisory committees for the British War Memorials during the First World War and the War Artists Advisory panel during the Second World War.
The drawing depicts the ‘Great Crater’ at Athies, a village in Northern France. The scene depicts a large area which has been hit by artillery fire, with the circular clearing surrounded by war scarred trees and the ruins of a building in the background.
Muirhead Bone travelled to France on 16 August 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. He was the first official British war artist of the First World War producing 150 drawings in six weeks. It is from this series of works which this drawing is most likely to have originated from.
Muirhead Bone (1876-1953) was a Scottish watercolourist and etcher. He was known for his depictions of wartime industrial and architectural settings. He was on the advisory committees for the British War Memorials during the First World War and the War Artists Advisory panel during the Second World War.
Object Summary
- Accession Loan No.
- 34/1919/5
- Category
- Fine Art
- Collection Class
- Prints
- Medium
- lithograph on paper
- Common Name
- The Great Crater, Athies
- Simple Name
- Inscription Transcription
- Bone; Muirhead Bone; MB
- Period Classification
- World War I (1914-1918)
- Production Town
- ; London; London
- Production Country
- ; United Kingdom: England; United Kingdom: England
- Production Person Initials
- Sir David Muirhead; ; George
- Production Person Surname
- Bone; Country Life Ltd; Newnes Ltd
- Production Year Low
- 1918
- Production Year High
- 1918
