Graphite and watercolour on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/paul-nash-1690" aria-label="More by Paul Nash" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Paul Nash</a>
Bomber in Corn
Presented by the War Artists Advisory Committee 1946
air crash
aircraft, military
astronomy
Britain, Battle, Summer 1940
corn
England
farmland
German
government and politics
hedge
history
landscape
military: World War II
nationality
patriotism
places
plants and flowers
society
sun
sunset
times of the day
transport: air
UK countries and regions
<p>This is one of a series of six ‘Raiders’ begun in about August 1940 for the Air Ministry. Nash saw these watercolours as a continuation of his earlier work on the theme of ‘the monster in the field’, which in earlier incarnations consisted of strange misshapen tree trunks. Nash hoped his ‘Raiders’ would be published as war propaganda. This was never done. Nevertheless, the interruption of the machine here implies something a lot more threatening than a Surrealist juxtaposition of unlikely objects.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2004</em></p>
paper unique graphite watercolour
10 March 2003 – July 2003
Mar 2003 – July 2003
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2003-03-10
Broken Ground
Collection based display
23 July 2003 – 19 October 2003
2003-10-19
Tate Liverpool (Liverpool, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/
2003-07-23
Paul Nash: Modern Artist, Ancient Landscape
Exhibition
15 June 2005 – 4 September 2005
2005-09-04
15 June 2005 – 4 September 2005
2005-09-04
2005-06-15
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2005-06-15
A Picture of Britain
Exhibition
1 February 2010 – 31 May 2010
2010-05-31
1 February 2010 – 31 May 2010
2010-05-31
2010-02-01
Dulwich Picture Gallery (London, UK)
2010-02-01
Paul Nash: The Elements
Loan-out
19 May 2014 – 10 August 2014
2014-08-10
19 May 2014 – 10 August 2014
2014-08-10
2014-05-19
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2014-05-19
Kenneth Clark
Exhibition
26 March 2015 – 27 May 2020
2020-05-27
26 March 2015 – 21 June 2015
2015-06-21
2015-03-26
Museo Nacional de Arte (Mexico City, Mexico)
18 July 2015 – 18 October 2015
2015-10-18
2015-07-18
Pinacoteca do Estado (São Paulo, Brazil)
27 April 2018 – 5 August 2018
2018-08-05
2018-04-27
Shanghai Art Museum (Shanghai, China)
4 September 2018 – 13 November 2018
2018-11-13
2018-09-04
National Art Museum of China (Beijing, China)
27 November 2019 – 27 May 2020
2020-05-27
2019-11-27
Hong Kong Museum of Art (Hong Kong, China)
2015-03-26
British Landscape
Tate partnerships & programmes
24 October 2016 – 31 January 2018
2018-01-31
24 October 2016 – 5 March 2017
2017-03-05
2016-10-24
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
7 April 2017 – 20 August 2017
2017-08-20
2017-04-07
Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts (Norwich, UK)
9 September 2017 – 31 January 2018
2018-01-31
2017-09-09
Laing Art Gallery (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK)
http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/
2016-10-24
Paul Nash
Loan-out
26 October 2016 – 14 January 2018
2018-01-14
26 October 2016 – 5 March 2017
2017-03-05
2016-10-26
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
7 April 2017 – 20 August 2017
2017-08-20
2017-04-07
Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts (Norwich, UK)
9 September 2017 – 14 January 2018
2018-01-14
2017-09-09
Laing Art Gallery (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK)
http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/
2016-10-26
Paul Nash
Exhibition
Bomber in the Corn
support: 394 × 578 mm
frame: 670 × 840 × 25 mm
Presented by the War Artists Advisory Committee 1946
<div>
    This is one of a series of six ‘Raiders’ begun in about August 1940 for the Air Ministry. Nash saw      these <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/watercolour" title="Glossary definition for 'Watercolour'"><span>watercolours</span></a>  as a continuation of his      earlier work  on the theme of ‘the      monster in the field’, which in earlier incarnations consisted  of      strange misshapen tree trunks. Nash hoped his ‘Raiders’ would      be published  as war propaganda. This was never  
done. Nevertheless, the interruption  of the      machine here implies something  a lot more threatening than a <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/s/surrealism" title="Glossary definition for 'Surrealism'"><span>Surrealist</span></a>      juxtaposition of unlikely objects.    </div>

Display caption
2004-08-18T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N05715</b> BOMBER IN THE CORN 1940
<br/>
<br/>Inscr. ‘Paul Nash’ b.r. and, on back, ‘Paul Nash Bomber in the Corn’.
<br/>Pencil and watercolour, 15 1/2×22 3/4 (39·5×58).
<br/>Presented by the War Artists' Advisory Committee 1946.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> <i>National War Pictures</i>, National Gallery, 1940–3; Leeds, April–June 1943 (66); <i>National War Pictures</i>, R.A., October–November 1945 (218).
<br/><i>Lit:</i>
Bertram, 1955, pp.271–2.
<br/><i>Repr:</i> <i>Studio</i>, CXXIII, 1942, p.9 (in colour); Eric Newton, <i>War through Artists' Eyes</i>, 1945, p.74 (in colour); V. &amp; A., <i>Twentieth Century British Water-Colours</i>, 1958, pl.27.</p>
<p>One of a series of six ‘Raiders’ begun in about August 1940 for the Air Ministry (e.g. Eates, 1948, pls. 96–9). On the back there is a rough <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/g/graphite" title="Glossary definition for 'Graphite'"><span>pencil</span></a> <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawing</span></a>, crossed out, of a complete plane on the ground, possibly a sketch for ‘Raider on the Moors’ (Oxford; repr. Eates, <i>op. cit.</i>, pl.96).</p>
<p>Nash (quoted in Bertram, <i>loc. cit.</i>) saw these <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/watercolour" title="Glossary definition for 'Watercolour'"><span>watercolours</span></a> as in part a continuation of the theme of ‘the monster in the fields’, e.g. the oil ‘Monster Field’ of 1939 (Durban; repr. in colour, Eates, <i>op. cit.</i>, pl.93). He hoped that the set would be published as propaganda, but this was never done (letter of <i>c.9</i> August 1940 in Imperial War Museum files).</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, II
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-08T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
aircraft, military air crash astronomy Britain, Battle, Summer 1940 corn England farmland German government and politics hedge history landscape military: World War II nationality patriotism places plants and flowers society sun sunset times of the day transport: air UK countries and regions