London Carries On

London Carries On

Joseph Bato (1888 - 1966)

Date: 1940
Dimensions:
384 x 491 mm
Medium: Watercolour and gouache on paper
Object number: GA0357
DescriptionWatercolour and gouache on paper which depicts a bomb-site in central London; a property which has been totally destroyed by enemy bombing during a campaign known as the "Blitz". London's famous red buses can be seen beyond the bricks and twisted metal, alluding to the title "London Carries On". Bato was an "unofficial" war artist, and émigré from Hungary. In 1942 he published a book called "Defiant City", a collection of 48 drawings and lithographs which explicitly captured London's defiance in the face of enemy bombing raids.