Making Sailors: The Gun - from "The Great War: Britain's Efforts and Ideals"

Frank Brangwyn

Published by Wellington House, the secret propaganda arm of the British Government, the portfolio The Great War: Britain's Efforts and Ideals was created in an attempt to boost morale and inspire international support as World War I raged on. The 66 lithographs created by eighteen leading British artists were first exhibited at the Fine Art Society, London, in July of 1917.

The portfolio was divided into sections beginning with "Ideals," the most patriotic of the works, using allegory and symbolism to present the achievements of wartime Britain in a positive light for the consideration of a war-weary populace. These were printed in full color. Following this were nine sections on the theme of "Efforts" by nine of the artists, including "Making Soldiers" (Eric Kennington), "Making Sailors" (Frank Brangwyn), "Making Guns" (George Clausen), "Building Ships" (Muirhead Bone), "Building Aircraft" (Christopher Nevinson), "Work on the Land" (William Rothenstein), "Tending the Wounded" (Claude Shepperson), "Women's Work" (A.S. Hartrick), and "Transport by Sea" (Charles Pears).

As this was commissioned by the British government, the artists' works went through a censorship process, and anything that appeared less than patriotic did not pass muster. This image, "The Gun," was the second image of six that Brangwyn executed for his section of the portfolio. It is the only piece within his section that hints at the struggles of the sailors aboard battleships.