The Vale of the White Horse 1939

Eric Ravilious made this watercolour, The Vale of the White Horse, during the interwar years, a period of intense social change and upheaval in Britain. Here, Ravilious depicts an ancient chalk figure carved into a hillside in Oxfordshire. This iconic symbol of English heritage invites reflection on national identity. Ravilious painted it in a style that combines modern abstraction with a nostalgic view of rural life. He worked as a war artist and was interested in the relationship between tradition and modernity, particularly during a time when Britain was grappling with its imperial past and uncertain future. Ravilious's career was fostered by institutions such as the Royal College of Art. These institutions helped to shape and promote a particular vision of British art. To understand such works better, we must consider the cultural and political debates that were taking place in Britain at the time, looking at magazines, newspapers, and other records of public opinion. This painting highlights how art is always entangled with the social and institutional forces of its time.