This work is one of sixty lithographs published together in a portfolio titled ‘War Drawings by Muirhead Bone’ by the War Office in 1918. The prints include scenes from the Western Front, as well as naval subjects in the First World War. Each was intended to be a truthful record of this time, showing the way soldiers lived, the materials and armaments used by them, and the destruction these caused.

In 1916, Bone (1876-1953) was appointed as Britain’s first Official War Artist by Charles Masterman (1873-1927), head of the British War Propaganda Bureau, and was given the task of recording the events and settings of the First World War. The artist was known for his rapid production of high-quality, accurate drawings that could be easily reproduced, so was an ideal candidate for the job. He was given the uniform and honorary rank of a Second Lieutenant, which provided him with the security clearance needed to travel with greater ease, and was sent to France in August 1916. He worked quickly, often in pencil, pen, charcoal and chalk, and had completed over 150 drawings by October 1916. His sketches covered a wide range of subjects, including off-duty soldiers, the work of the medical services, and the repair and maintenance of weaponry.