02 Works, The Art of War, Maxwell, Edward Burra’s Wake and Soldiers at Rye, with footnotes
Apr 12, 2024
Soldiers at Rye, c. 1941
Gouache, watercolour and ink on paper
1022 × 2070 mm
Tate
Rye became a centre for military activity. Soldiers are turned into nightmarish birdmen, recalling the Surrealist paintings of German artist Max Ernst. Burra was also interested in sixteenth-century English poetry. The bright colours and stylised dress of the soldiers might suggest courtly combat…