| Place | Europe: France, Nord Pas de Calais, Pas de Calais, Arras |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | AWM2017.162.10 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | sheet: 25.2 x 31 cm; image: 13.8 x 19.8 cm |
| Object type | |
| Physical description | hand-coloured etching, aquatint on wove paper |
| Maker |
Augis, Marcel |
| Place made | France |
| Date made | 1915 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
|
Hotel de Ville S'Arras, 1915
Description
Depicted here is the historic gothic town hall Hôtel de Ville in ruins, almost completely destroyed by German bombardment in 1914. German shelling torched the city hall to the ground on 8 October 1914 and all that remained was the Belfry. A fortnight later, the tower collapsed and the Belfry was reduced to a stump. The shades of red that Augis has used to colour this aquatint reflect Arras burning under constant shell fire.
Marcel Augis was the alias of French artist Henry Dupont. Dupont also worked under the alias Paul Mansard.