[Writing a letter to the wife]

Depicts the protagonist sitting on a box of grenades in the bottom left corner, writing a letter on a makeshift table. It is a rather symbolist piece; his imagining of his wife is drawn in the upper right corner. It is a finely observed depiction of her, showing her hairstyle and dress in detail. She appears to be floating before him like a vision, with only her head and upper body revealed. It is a wonderful description of the yearning for home that all soldiers must have felt at the front.

Sketchbook belonging to Paul Prangère. Found on the WWI battlefields in France by Private Charles Edward Goldspink M.M., 17 Infantry Battallion. Depicts life in the trenches during the first two costly battles of Champagne. The first battle took place between 10 December 1914 - 17 March 1915 and 90,000 French were injured. The second battle occurred between 22 September 1915 - 6 October 1915. It probably does not depict the thrid battle of Champagne (16 - 20 April 1917) because Prangere states the date of creation as being 1916. Many of the illustrations are of a jovial and gentle life in dugouts. The second half of the sketchbook portrays the soldier on leave with his wife or girlfriend after being injured. Despite the grim nature of life in the trenches, the artist largely portrays a lyrical existence, with his simple and humourous illustrative style anticipating Hergé's Tintin (which was first published in 1929).