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Coastal Defences
Coastal Defences

Coastal Defences

Artist (London, England, 1903 - 1942)
Date1940
Mediumpencil pen ink and watercolour on paper
ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings
DimensionsSight Size: Height: 41.8 cm, Width: 58.1 cm
Frame Size: 56 x 72.4 x 3.5cm
AcquisitionPresented in 1947 by the War Artists' Advisory Committee.
CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDAG003118
About MeIn September 1940 the threat of a Nazi invasion into Britain was real and immediate. In his role as an official War Artist, Ravilious travelled to Newhaven to record the defence of the south coast. He wrote at the time "I am all for tin hats, with Germans just overhead as I work. They fly as they like."

In this work Ravilious - like the enemy aircraft - takes an aerial view of the long pier. The small figures of two soldiers on patrol, coupled with the silent presence of a lone vessel in the water, create an air of tension.
More About Me
In this work Ravilious depicts a beachfront with the hints of war. The colours are light and calm despite the barbed wire and the patrolling soldiers.
Exhibitions