Vivan Bewick
Anti-tank gun in action

Gouache
24 x 32 cm
Signed and dated to lower right.

This striking gouache depicts, according to the artist, ‘an anti-tank gun, with Australian crew, on the road to Damascus with a Vichy tank burning in the background.’ The low-level angle and side profile of the soldiers creates a sense of drama, with the rimmed hat of the standing soldier recalling the Wild West, lending a certain heroic quality to this piece. With the heavy billowing smoke and the men poised to shoot, Bewick masterfully captures a moment of wartime suspense.

Vivian Bewick (1912–1999) was a British artist and educator, notable for his contributions to mid-20th-century art and his role as a tutor at the Buckhurst Hill Community Association (BHCA). He was also a descendant of Thomas Bewick, the renowned 19th-century engraver celebrated for his depictions of birds and animals.

While fulfilling his military duties in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War, Bewick maintained his artistic pursuits. He contributed to the wall-newspaper “Swillbin,” a tradition from the First World War, and designed army Christmas cards. Additionally, he illustrated technical manuals and conducted art classes and exhibitions, with critiques by James Bateman R.A. After the war, Bewick continued his artistic education and career, spending five years at St. Martin’s School of Art and London University. He also engaged in part-time teaching of adults in art clubs, societies, and colleges and exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Paris Salon, the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, and the Royal Society of British Artists.

Condition: Generally very good.

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