The Fitzwilliam Museum’s exhibition "War Craft" offers a detailed exploration of trench art and wartime creativity, tracing the evolution of artistic expression shaped by the brutal realities of modern conflict. Curated by Richard Kelleher, the exhibition presents 85 artifacts arranged in a chronological and thematic progression, spanning from the early 19th century through to the contemporary war in Ukraine.
The exhibition begins with a nod to the origins of modern warfare, featuring J.M.W. Turner’s 1817 watercolor "The Field of Waterloo," which depicts the aftermath of battle with haunting imagery of British and French casualties. The narrative then unfolds to the First World War, which profoundly transformed both the nature of combat and the art that emerged from it. Trench art—often crafted by soldiers using discarded military materials—becomes a central focus. The display highlights acclaimed war artists such as C.R.W. Nevinson and Paul Nash, whose somber paintings from 1918 capture the desolate battlefields, alongside Siegfried Sassoon’s autograph manuscript, representing the war’s literary dimension.
Moving beyond professional artists, "War Craft" emphasizes the anonymous but deeply personal creations of ordinary soldiers. These individuals, originally civilians, adapted to military life and fashioned objects from mass-produced materials, personalizing items like dog tags, coins, shell casings, and bullet fragments. A poignant example includes a meticulously reassembled stained-glass panel made from broken pieces recovered in Ypres, Belgium, one of World War I’s most devastated cities. This work echoes T.S. Eliot’s depiction of the war’s shattered legacy in "The Waste Land," as sacred imagery is repurposed to reflect destruction rather than faith.
The exhibition also displays smaller carved objects from northern France, such as crucifixes and flower vases made from local chalk and bone, inscribed with phrases like "War Time" and "Lost Time," symbolizing the soldiers’ attempt to impose meaning on their experiences. These artifacts illustrate the widespread practice of transforming battlefield remnants into tokens of memory and identity.
"War Craft" further connects these historical artifacts to modern conflict through a striking example from the war in Ukraine: a battered Russian ammunition box marked by a Ukrainian soldier with a cartoon and the phrase "Slava Ukraine" (“Glory to Ukraine”). This item, included as the exhibition’s contemporary endpoint, highlights the continuing tradition of soldiers using found objects to express resistance and solidarity.
The exhibition also acknowledges the parallel between frontline creativity and broader artistic movements of the early 20th century. It recalls how avant-garde artists like Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp incorporated found objects into their work, a practice mirrored by soldiers who transformed military detritus into art. Among the pieces is a clock mounted on a wooden propeller hub, a Christmas gift in 1915 to Royal Flying Corps pilot Gilbert Insall, exemplifying the blend of functional object and personal memento.
Overall, "War Craft" offers a compelling look at the intersection of warfare, art, and human resilience, illustrating how conflict has inspired both professional and amateur artists alike to create lasting, meaningful works from the fragments of violence.