Study for ‘The Drums’ c. 1957

Editor: Here we have William Roberts's Study for 'The Drums', a pencil drawing. It's fascinating to see the artist's process with the grid lines still visible. What strikes me is the almost classical feel of the figures despite their rather modern clothing. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, looking at this study, I’m drawn to Roberts's engagement with both tradition and the modern socio-political currents of his time. Notice how the figures, though rendered in a somewhat geometric style influenced by Vorticism, are posed in a manner reminiscent of classical friezes. Considering Roberts's background and the period in which he worked, how do you think the inclusion of drums might be read in the context of post-war Britain and its relationship to ideas of empire and otherness? Editor: That's a great point. It makes me think about cultural appropriation and the way non-Western cultures were often exoticized. Curator: Precisely. Understanding the politics of imagery in Roberts's time allows us to consider the complex ways in which artists negotiated issues of representation and power.