No. 23 "The Look-out"

Artist Sir Frank William Brangwyn (1867 - 1956)

Datec1917

MediumLithograph on paper

Dimensions54.8 x 38.2 cm

ClassificationsPrint

Credit LineCollection & image © Hugh Lane Gallery. Donated by the British Ministry of Information. © The Estate of Frank William Brangwyn.

Object number478

DescriptionThis planographic print (lithograph) is part of a series entitled 'The Great War: Britain's Efforts And Ideals shown in a series of lithographic prints: 'Making Sailors' series. There are a total of six lithographs in this particular series, and in total there are ten series. The lithographs are numbered as if the entire ten series are one, so this print is number 23.

The sea was vital for the transportation of goods and manpower and, as a result, battleships acted as a significant deterrent. Recruitment campaigns calling for men to join the Royal Navy were widespread and highlighting the opportunity for travel was an additional incentive to those seeking adventure. Frank Brangwyn had great sympathy for the ordinary person and in these lithographs the sailors are portrayed with great dignity. Youthful Ambition is a masterful drawing of a young boy on shore looking longingly at battleships slowly emerging from the misty distance. Using only a few spare lines, Brangwyn skillfully suggests the wet surface of the quayside while the boy’s stance is charmingly suggestive of a confident young boy impatient to be older. In the drawing Duff Brangwyn highlights the comraderie among the sailors as they eagerly await a reminder of home, a traditional duff boiled pudding from the north of England. The tough, physical nature of life out in stormy seas is also emphasised in these drawings. The Look-out with both man and big guns in a vigilant state of alert is a reminder of the ever-present threat posed by the enemy at sea.
Jessica O'Donnell 2014

A solitary figure in a long coat stands on the edge of a battleship's gun turret. The sailor's hands are clasped behind his back as he looks defiantly out at the sea. The ends of his coat wisp about his ankles in the blustery wind and sea spray washes up over another gun turret below. Four guns can be seen from the viewer’s vantage point.

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