Francais inconnus 1917

"Francais Inconnus" is a 1917 etching by Scottish artist James McBey. The work depicts a stark and somber scene of a battlefield cemetery in France during World War I. The viewer is positioned behind a group of soldiers gazing upon rows of crosses marking the graves of fallen soldiers. The sky above is filled with two hot air balloons, a symbol of the war's aerial technology. McBey's use of fine lines and hatching creates a sense of both fragility and permanence, reflecting the tragic realities of war and the enduring memory of those who perished.