Delville Wood Museum : Bronze Panel Africa Campaign 1914 - 1918

Abstract

This dissertation has four objectives: to trace the development of Military Art and tradition; to place one of the four bronze panels for the Delville Wood Museum in context with contemporary art trends; to document scientifically the creative, technological and developmental aspects of it; to put forward and illustrate a personal approach to bronze as a sculptural medium. An attempt is made to trace the development of Military Art from the Assyrians to the present, with the emphasis on the last 200 years. The bronze panel in the Delville Wood Museum is defined in relation to the "popular" and "illustrative" solutions that often seem to typify Military Art. The historical circumstances of the time relative to the theme are discussed as background to the sculptural content of the panel. In conclusion an over-riding sculptural problem, namely to create in the medium of bronze an historical Military narrative panel that has sculptural as well as literal validity, is addressed.