David Bomberg

Spink-Leger, London

The work is on wove paper which has not been laid down. The edges of the sheet have been adhered to the mount. The artist's paperclip marks are visible in all four corners. There is a small spot of surface matter along the right edge in the upper right quadrant. Held under glass in a simple gilded frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Bomberg enlisted with the Royal Engineers in 1915. He was transferred to the King's Royal Rifles and in 1916 was sent to the front in France.  Unlike many of his contemporaries, however, he did not make visual records of his time at the front, but rather chronicled his experiences in writing.

In December 1917 Bomberg was transferred to the Canadian army, in order to create a memorial of The Battle of Passchendaele for the newly created Canadian War Records Office. The subject of 'sappers' was appropriate both to the criteria of the commissioning committee, who aimed to embrace 'every sphere of Canadian war preparation and war activity' and to Bomberg himself, who had been employed as a sapper by the Royal Rifles. Bomberg wrote of the experience, 'it was carried out under the greatest of difficulties. The enemy were working their own sap alongside. Any excess of noise would be likely to draw the enemy's attention to our activity and result in them launching a torpedo through the earthworks' (Richard Cork, David Bomberg, Yale University Press, London, 1987, p.113).