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
![Franz's mature works mostly are animals, and are known for bright colors. He was drafted to serve in the German Army at the beginning of World War I, and died two years later at the Battle of Verdun.
In the 1930s, the Nazis named him a degenerate artist as part of their suppression of modern art.[2] However, most of his work survived World War II, securing his legacy. His work is now exhibited in many eminent galleries and museums.
– Wikipedia](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:k6m3n5mysrpozg5vr6mgtia7/bafkreid2sjobepl3ztq676emsjzomytznl6o7ilbsvyc62cw6nkfzpqe7m)
