Hubert Finney (1905 – 1991)
Soldiers Waiting

Charcoal
37 x 55 cm

A reclusive figure whose work has remained largely unseen, Finney studied under Eric Gill before winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in the early 1920’s. Finney had the good fortune to attend the RCA as part of a golden generation, many of whom went on to become some of Britain’s best loved artists (amongst them Ravilious, Bawden, Hepworth, Moore, Dunbar, Sorrell, and Piper). After a travelling scholarship to Rome, in 1929, Finney returned to become a teacher at Chelsea School of Art – working alongside Henry Moore who was in charge of the Sculpture Department and Graham Sutherland, the Department of Design.

It was during the Second World War, when Finney was working for the Light Rescue Service of the Civil Defence that this charcoal piece was created. Depicting a bomb site during the blitz, Finney’s skilful blend of charcoal, coloured pencil and pastel creates pops of colour and conveys the smoky atmosphere of London in the 1940s.