Religious and spiritual themes in British academic art during the Great War
The fascination with spiritual matters among many in Britain during the Great War and the impact it had upon attitudes towards death, bereavement, faith, sacrifice, and the growth of spiritualism in the country has been examined before; but few have considered the visual response, or the effects of such images on the imagination. These themes were translated into representational paintings and prints representing Christ, death and sacrifice, life after death, and inspirational visions that attempted to centre the scene in realistic terms. Related to this were symbolic allegories such as St. George, reflective of nationalistic tendencies, faith, and spiritual vengeance. It will be argued that such fictions perpetuated and grounded these beliefs in reality. In the majority of cases, the artists moved the discourse from the pulpit to the battlefield, placing common soldiers at the forefront of the experience, guaranteeing approbation among a public eager for visual reassurance. Four pictures in particular, e...