Column on the March

Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson

1916 · Drypoint · Drawings and Prints

Column on the March is related to Nevinson’s Returning to the Trenches; however, rather than individuals, it shows a long line of French soldiers marching to the front. Nevinson indicated the almost unfathomable length of formations like this—which could exceed twenty miles—by allowing the infantry line to extend beyond the limits of the composition. The monotony of the mass and the rigor of each soldier give the impression that the assembled men are like a human "tank" charging toward its destination. While Nevinson made a similar painting, many critics found the sharper drypoint to be a more effective condemnation of war. This work may be a response to Gino Severini’s Futurist images of war trains cutting through the landscape, such as Train in the City (1915), a work Nevinson knew.

Artist

Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson

Date

1916

Medium

Drypoint

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, Leslie and Johanna Garfield Gift, Lila Acheson Wallace, Charles and Jessie Price, and David T Schiff Gifts, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, Dolores Valvidia Hurlburt Bequest, Peco Foundation and Friends of Drawings and Prints Gifts, and funds from various donors, 2019