eric ravilious: drawn to war…

Moira and I went along to the Watershed this afternoon to see Margy Kinmonth’s excellent documentary film on landscape artist Eric Ravilious (who died in a plane crash in 1942, aged 39, during his time working as a war artist for the MOD).
Although I’ve been aware of Ravilious’s work for a number of years, it’s only really in the past 6-7 years (largely thanks to the enthusiasm for his work by my great friend David McLaughlin) – during which time I’ve accumulated a number of books relating to his life and his art.
As the film emphasises, Ravilious is a grossly undervalued artist (literally – during his time working for the MOD in WW2, they were keen to buy ten of his original submarine pieces for £2 10s each… that’s £25 for all TEN!!)(I wonder what they’d be worth today?). But, as well as being undervalued, he’s also been largely forgotten - indeed, a trove of Ravilious’s work was discovered hidden under a bed for 40 years (the bed was that of graphic artist Edward Bawden, who was best man at Ravilious’s wedding)!
Working in watercolour, pen and ink and woodcut engraving, Eric Ravilious’s work combined rolling English landscapes (particularly the South Downs) with a “sensibility that was bold in its modernity and economy” (Wendy Ide, The Guardian, 3 July 2022). He engraved more than 400 illustrations and drew over 40 lithographic designs for books and publications during his lifetime.
I thought it was a very beautiful, poignant documentary and it’s made me want to read more about his work (and see more of it too).
PS: After 2 years of trying, in 2019 I eventually managed to persuade Bristol Museum and Art Gallery to let me see Ravilious’s “Tennis Triptych” (1930) – which the gallery keeps shut away in its extensive archives. I think it’s time they put it on permanent exhibition.