This photo struck me. Had to paint it. War and its cruelty can still create such unintended beauty.

Oil pastels, 22x22cm
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David Jagger did not serve, possibly on the grounds of ill health, which seems to have been a source of some tension between him and is brother, who did. The Military Service Act, which came into force on March 2nd, 1916, introduced conscription to the UK with those who appealed against active duty facing locally established tribunals whose job was to decide between 'conscience or cowardice'. During the first six months of the Act more than 750,000 cases were heard by tribunals with only a small number recognised as 'legitimate'. Indeed, the anonymous sitter in the present work would have been one of only 16,000 conscientious objectors registered from March of 1916 to the end of the war. These civilians were allocated alternative service of 'national importance' which was primarily unarmed duties in the Non-Combatant Corps, Royal Army Medical Corps or labour such as farm or factory work. Conscientious objectors were often shamed, perhaps best illustrated by the white feather that was issued to men not in uniform and organisations such as the No-Conscription Fellowship sought wider pacifism with prominent individual such as Bertrand Russell and Ramsay MacDonald supporting it. The determination in the face of the sitter in the present work cannot be disputed as he stares intently at us the viewer, alone in the darkness, steadfast in his belief and comitted to his cause (for whatever reason). Painted in 1917 and exhibited at the Royal Academy in that year (the artist's first appearance at the institution), one can imagine the interrogation he might have faced in front of a tribunal and the resolve with which he would have needed to maintain. Despite his situation, Jagger has created a stylish portrait with a striking use of light which appears both characterful and evocative. It is a searching picture which whilst serious is at the same time finished with a degree of flamboyance and theatre which Jagger often incorporated into his portraiture.

David Jagger, R.O.I. (British/English, 1891-1958) • The Conscientious Objector • 1917 (see ALT text) #art #arthistory #BritishArt #Early20thCenturyArt #DavidJagger #painting #oilpainting #WarTimeArt #BritishHistory #portrait #20thCenturyArt

A daguerreotype-style photograph capturing a World War 1 scene. The image shows a British officer helping a wounded soldier walk through a muddy, debris-filled trench. The sky is cloudy and dull, adding to the somber mood. The trench is filthy with dirt and scattered remnants of war. The focus is on the rear view of the subjects, who are not facing the camera, revealing only their postures and the interaction. The officer is holding the soldier, who is bandaged on one leg and one shoulder.

Ypres front, Belgium, Possibly May 1915, Possibly British 2ND Div. Field Infirmary

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