C.R.W Nevinson

Building Aircraft: Banking at 4,000 Feet (from the series ‘The Great War: Britain’s Efforts and Ideals’)

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About this artwork

This print is from a portfolio series commissioned by the Bureau of Information, called ‘The Great War: Britain’s Efforts and Ideals’. Twelve artists made prints relating to the ‘Ideals’ involved in going to war, and Nevinson was one of the nine artists commissioned to depict the ‘Efforts’ associated with war. This is the fifth of Nevinson’s six prints, which show the process of building an aeroplane, from making parts, to assembly, and finally to flight. In this dramatically composed image, the artist expresses the fear and exhilaration of being a passenger in a fighter plane, with his hand shown gripping the side of the aircraft. He conveys a sense of movement by contrasting the strong diagonals of the wings and circular movements of the propeller with the patchwork of fields far below.

Updated before 2020

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C.R.W Nevinson

C.R.W Nevinson