In 1917, major james kerr-lawson was commissioned by the canadian war memorials fund to journey to the battlefields of france and belgium to paint the ruined cities of arras and ypres, which had suffered greatly in the shelling. This painting depicts the ruins of arras cathedral as they existed circa 1917. James kerr-lawson (1862-1939) was an established painter at the time of his commission in 1917. Born in anstruther, fife, scotland, the artist emigrated to hamilton, ontario with his family at the age of three. Although he lived most of his life in london, england, he maintained many links with the canadian artistic community. He was best known as a portraitist and mural decorator. Object Type: painting. Date: 1919. Dimensions: height: 278 cm (109.4 in) ; width: 369 cm (12.1 ft). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Canadian War Museum. James Kerr-Lawson-Arras, the Dead City (CWM 19710261-0335)
Loading...
