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Talk:Keith Henderson (artist)

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If he was a war artist then his paintings for that time will be out of copyright - can anyone find a picture? Without that the "controversy" over the painting cannot be appreciated Victuallers (talk) 17:30, 15 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

And could a few words be added to state just what it was about this painting that 'infuriated' the Air Ministry? I can't see anything scandalous in it. T-bonham (talk) 08:18, 24 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

The figure in the top left corner jumping on the wing of the plane is the problem. According to the account in Foss,[1] when Henderson submitted the painting to WAAC, he asked

Don't drew Blondie's [WAAC Air Ministry representative Herald Peake's] attention to this,' he urged E.M.O'R. Dickey, with reference to the jumping figure. 'It is done here, but although a quick and effective way of testing an undercarriage, it is one of those things that are NOT done.' Henderson's depiction did in fact provoke Peake's indignation, and ultimately contributed to his dismissal from his post as a salaried war artist.

By the way, Henderson was in good company as Peake also objected to the work submitted by Paul Nash and insisted upon depriving him of his salaried position with the Air Ministry as well. 14GTR (talk) 19:42, 24 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

  1. ^ Brain Foss (2007). War paint: Art, War, State and Identity in Britain, 1939-1945. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-10890-3.