study painting, Canadian Artillery in Action
Report a Mistake- Object Number 20060094-001
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Event
1914-1919 First World War
1916 Battle of the Somme - Affiliation --
- Artist / Maker / Manufacturer Forbes, Captain Kenneth Keith
- Date Made 1916-1919
- Place of Use Continent - North America, Country - Canada, Province / Territory - Quebec, Municipality - Montréal
- Category Communication artifacts
- Sub-category Art
- Department Art and Memorials
- Museum CWM
- Earliest 1916/01/01
- Latest 1919/12/31
- Medium oil
- Support canvas
- Materials Not applicable
- Branch Canadian Field Artillery
- Service Component Canadian Expeditionary Force
- Measurements Height 93.0 cm, Width 152.3 cm
- Caption Canadian Artillery in Action, c. 1918
- Additional Information For Kenneth Forbes, then in the British Army, the call to become a war artist in 1918 was unexpected, but perhaps not unwelcome. He had been wounded and gassed. "I had been in the front line trenches for over two years and had just been promoted to second-in-command of the 32nd Machine Gun Co. which includes the rank of Captain, when I received an order to report to Col. Barry... he informed me that I was to report to the Canadian War Memorials, London and be transferred to the Canadian Army." Canadian Artillery in Action reconstructs an incident on July 16, 1916, during the Battle of the Somme. Suffering under an intense barrage that resulted in many casualties, the Canadian gunners nevertheless stayed at their posts.
- Caption Canadian Artillery in Action
- Additional Information Painted by Kenneth Forbes between 1916 and 1919. Here, we see a gun crew and 6-inch howitzer in action at Thiepval, France, in 1916. Before he became an official war artist for the Canadian War Memorials Fund in 1918, Canadian Kenneth Forbes fought in the British Army. Knowing the importance of artillery in the war, he consulted with artillery officers to ensure accuracy before preparing this study for a larger work.