Ruins of War: Dixmunde

Depicts the facade of a blazing church in the Belgian town of Dixmude (Diksmuide in Belgian) is a Belgian city and was part of the Belgian section of the Western front between 1914-1918. Regiment after regiment of the Belgian army struggled under harsh conditions to prevent the German advance toward France. It was halted temporarily by a flood (between Nieuwpoort and Dixmude). This work by Frank Brangwyn (1867-1956) is one of a series of 6 lithographs showing sites where Canadian soldiers had fought, designed for the Canadian War Memorial Fund set up by Lord Beaverbrook. Brangwyn was not an official war artist, although he produced over 80 poster designs during the first World War. A large proportion of Brangwyn's work during this period was given free of charge to charitable groups, for example the Red Cross, National Institute for the Blind, and Belgian and Allied Aid League. He produced work for clients included the National War Savings Committee, the UERCL (Underground Electric Railways Company of London), and the United States Navy, as well as the Canadian War Memorial Fund in this instance.