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5 August 2021

On 11 June 1944, just after D Day, Ardizzone boarded a landing craft headed to Normandy. This is one of the drawings he made during the crossing. Lest we forget: the men who died and the men who fought and even the men who endured the seasickness. The saddest thing looking at these amazing wartime drawings is that nowadays no-one would be cultured or sensitive or empathetic enough to commission an artist to draw a war or a crisis or a world event. And yet a drawing or painting can convey so much more than a photograph. Weirdly, the only time we commission someone to draw something is in a court, where the rule of 'no photography' applies but a drawing is permitted. And yet David Gentleman's painting of 59 Lamb's Conduit Street conveyed so much more than a photograph; and we hope to have a painting of the outside of 8 Edgar Buildings very soon.

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