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Dallas Karren
Mrs. Toler
Art 1020
10 May, 2016
Artist Inspired Essay

INTRODUCTION/BIOGRAPHY: I chose to do my artist-inspired artwork based on the

works of Sir Muirhead Bone. Sir Muirhead Bone was a British war artist during both
world war 1 and 2. He was born on the 23rd of March, 1876 in Glasgow, Scotland. He
later died at age 77 on the 21st of October, 1953 in Oxford, England. Sir Muirhead Bone
studied at the He started out printmaking in 1898. His first print was what is known as a
lithograph, but he is more well known for his etchings and drypoints. He later moved to
London in 1901 and joined the New English Art Club. Bone also held his first solo
exhibition at the Carfax Gallery in 1902.
In May of 1916, he was appointed as the first official British war artist. He was
given an honorable ranking of Second Lieutenant. Later that same year, in August, he
was deployed to the Western Front with the Allied Forces. During his deployment, he
assisted the War Propaganda Bureau by making artworks that were later published in
Allied Government propaganda and informational brochures. Wherever there was
disarray, he transformed it into a magnificent, organized piece of work. After the end of
WW1, he visited France, Italy, and the Netherlands, which gave him inspiration and
influenced his work more increasingly. In 1937, Sir Muirhead Bone received a
knighthood.

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During the outbreak of WW2, he was appointed as a member of the War Artists
Advisory Committee and worked as a paid artist for the Ministry of Information,
specializing in Admiralty Subjects. After the death of his son in 1943, he discontinued
working with the Admiralty Commission, but remained active in in the Committee
throughout the end of the war. He also illustrated many books during his lifetime. Some
include; The Yellow Book, Glasgow, The Front Line, The Western Front, Old Spain, and
Come To Oxford. Sir Muirhead Bone died on the 21st of October, 1953 in Oxford. His
burial site is located in a churchyard located alongside St. Marys Church in Cheshire.
CRITIQUE OF ARTWORK: Initial Response: The very first time I came across
Sir Muirhead Bones self portrait, I thought that he looked like a man that seems
honorable and distinguished. This is a self portrait that I would expect to find in a history
book. I had thought that it seemed like a great idea for my final project. I figured that this
was a piece of art and an artist that I could enjoy and be able to work with well. I could
initially see many of the elements and principles of art that we have learned and
discussed in class.
Description: I see a black and white self portrait that conveys an old time feel
about itself. The use of light and shadows help illustrate the portrait like an ancient black
and white photograph. Sir Muirhead Bone appears to be someone who has a quiet
confidence about themselves. I also see a lot of calmness being portrayed in this self
portrait. Additionally, there seems to be a touch of decorum in the illustration. He is
donning an old, British military uniform that gives him the mark of authority and
legitimacy. He is also posed in an authentic, traditional mannerism that gives him a
feeling of uniformity, and professionalism about him.

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Analyze: The shape of the artwork is very proportional and well done. It leaves a
sense of honor and respect. The value in this work is done well and truly helps bring the
portrait to life with its realistic shading. The values are very well uniform.
There is an excellent use of space as well, which goes along nicely with
proportion. Doesnt take up too much of the page, yet is not too small and takes up
enough space.
The emphasis in the self portrait is carried in the eyes and mouth, and transmits
an emotion of peacefulness and someone who is comfortable with themselves. That is
truly remarkable when you think of someone who is in the middle of all of this chaos of
war, yet he is able to portray such a peaceful calm. This really speaks volumes to the
reason which he was knighted. It just shows exactly how he is able to convey a great
deal of emotion and sentiment.
The use of light and shadow make for a wonderfully balanced portrait. It is very
natural, the way Bone treated the light and gave it an extremely pleasing balance. It is
predominately light on one side, yet there are touches of dark that reach over on his cap
and collar, and vice-versa for light, that give the portrait a very balanced feel to them
when it seems logically that the left side should be heavier due to the darker presence.
Very well done.
The movement in the artwork is so interesting that the treatment of the eyes
particularly draw the viewer into into the portrait. It is almost as if you feel you could
speak with him.
The proportion is so well done, that even though this is a black and white piece, it
is so strongly crafted, that the personality of the artist himself is channeled and

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believable. What I mean by that, is that his self portrait is so realistic looking, and
everything is exactly the right size, that it makes Sir Muirhead Bone seem like he could
be alive and is an actual, real person.
Interpret: I feel that there are many ways that this artwork can be taken. I believe
that he is trying to send a message about who he is in the portrait. Being a combat
artist, he is surrounded by violence and death constantly. His only companions in the
field were the lower members of society that fight these hand to hand battles. He felt the
hatred and coldness of man nonstop. Despite being surrounded being by all those
harsh elements, he has harmony and peace in his life, which is evident throughout the
portrait and the expressions on his face. He is also able to find beauty and elegance in
the war torn world that he lives in. It is amazing that such a man could emerge from
such a wreck of human nature. I find it even more astonishing that he is able to use art
as a form of language to describe and handle what he was observing.
Judgment: I believe Sir Muirhead Bone is a huge success. He was a huge part
of not only art, but actual history itself. Specifically, I believe that this portrait is a huge
success. This portrait is very well done and has many of the principals of art included. I
am going to judge this artwork based upon a mix of two viewpoints. Firstly, I am going to
judge it based from the position of a Hedonist. It is very appealing and extremely
realistic. I feel drawn to this work of art and like to look at it. There is something
satisfactory about the way that he completed his work. The more and more you study it,
the more and more that you are able to take out of it. A really cool part of this man and
his portrait is that he isnt only an invaluable portion of art history, but alas of world
history also. That is something that really drew me to his works, is that it is in a sense

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the non-fiction works of his industry. That to me is very pleasing because It is

simultaneously being able to look inside his head at his thought process, as well as
through his eyes at the pages of history.
Second and lastly, I am going to have a go at it from the angle that an
expressionist would hold. It has a lot of hidden meaning that can leave you pondering
and analyzing for quite a long time. It caught my attention and is very intriguing to the
viewers eye. There are many ways that the look on his face or even in his eyes alone
that could be trying to say something to you. Some people may take it in a different way
than others. Also, the longer and more closely you study the portrait, the more richness
and meaning comes out of it. It is something that I believe belongs, or at least could
see, in an old history museum or history book.
This was a really good drawing to use for my final project, I believe. It did present
a lot of challenges, being a black and white portrait, but it gave me the opportunity to
look deeper beyond the obvious and truly dig down into the meaning, elements, and
principles of this artwork. I am glad that I had the opportunity and privilege to study such
a wonderful piece of work and such an artist as Sir Muirhead Bone.

Works Cited

Muirhead Bone. Wikepedia. Wickimedia Foundation. Web. 12 May 2016.

MUIRHEAD BONE. Sir Muirhead Bone, Official War Artist. Web. 12 May 2016.
Harris, Lucy. Sir Muirhead Bone: First Official War Artist. History of Government. 22
July 2014. Web.

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Glasgow Guide: Glasgow Info: Famous Glaswegians: Sir Muirhead Bone. Web. 12
May 2016.