Place | Europe: France, Champagne-Ardenne |
---|---|
Accession Number | ART93070.028 |
Collection type | Art |
Measurement | sheet: 17.7 x 25.5 cm |
Object type | Work on paper |
Physical description | black pencil on cartridge paper |
Maker |
Prangere, Paul |
Place made | France |
Date made | 1916 |
Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
[Home at last]
Souvenir des tranchèes de CHAMPAGNE 1914 - 1915 [Souvenir of the trenches of Champagne, 1914 - 1915]
Depicts the protagonist and his wife at home in an intimate embrace. She is sitting on a large seat, leaning her head back, and he is leaning over the back of the chair to kiss her. She is stretched out with her delicate high-heeled shoes and an ankle (still considered to be quite risque in this period) displayed. In the far right of the drawing is a pot plant in an elaborate container on a tall and finely carved wooden stand.
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).