Augustus John, O.M., R.A. (1878-1961)

Having been given the rank of Honorary Major in the Canadian Army by Lord Beaverbrook, Augustus John was made official war artist and commissioned to paint a vast canvas depicting Canadian soldiers at war. He set off to France in December 1917 where he spent the next three months on the Front. He made countless drawings and paintings of the soldiers, often singularly, sometimes in groups set amongst bombed out buildings, horses and the charred remains of trees. These he worked into a preparatory 12 x 40 foot charcoal cartoon and between 1919-1921 he worked on the canvas. Titled The Canadians Opposite Lens, Winter 1917-18 it was left incomplete and today hangs in the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa.

We are very grateful to Rebecca John for preparing this catalogue entry.