H.M.S. Princess Royal at Scapa Flow 1918

Muirhead Bone made this watercolour, H.M.S. Princess Royal at Scapa Flow, in 1918. Looking at the image, I imagine Bone on site, sketching quickly with charcoal and then applying washes of muted blues, greys, and browns to capture the atmosphere. There’s a real sense of immediacy in the way he’s rendered the musicians and audience, hasn’t he? A flurry of activity and fleeting impressions. The brushstrokes are loose and gestural, giving the impression of figures caught in motion, instruments poised to play. The setting feels intimate and makeshift—the smoking concert in the title, a temporary escape. I love the contrast between the dark, shadowy backdrop and the patches of light on the faces and costumes of the performers. Artists are always riffing off one another. For me, this piece feels like a cousin to some of the works of Daumier, but with a distinctly British sensibility. Bone’s watercolour captures a specific moment in time, a community finding solace and connection through music amidst the backdrop of war.