Charcoal on paper
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<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/eric-kennington-1399" aria-label="More by Eric Kennington" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Eric Kennington</a>
A Bantam Hercules
Presented by Otto Gutekunst 1920
actions: postures and motions
adults
clothing and personal items
emotions and human qualities
emotions, concepts and ideas
gun, rifle
helmet
man
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<p>This drawing was reproduced in a volume called British Artists at the Front published in 1918.</p><p>The accompanying commentary noted that, at the beginning of the first world war, army recruits under 5 feet 2 inches tall were rejected. But ‘in the factory districts of Lancashire and Cheshire, the average stature is lower’. The desire to volunteer for the army was so strong that men between 5 feet and 5 feet 2 inches tall were recruited for ‘Bantam’ battalions. Kennington selected this man for ‘his exceptional strength and vitality’.</p><p><em>Gallery label, December 2004</em></p>
paper unique charcoal
6 December 2004 – 15 August 2005
2005-08-15
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2004-12-06
Blake and Jerusalem
Collection based display
A Bantam Hercules
support: 762 × 483 mm
Presented by Otto Gutekunst 1920
<div class="pbodytext">
<span class="text7">This drawing was reproduced in a volume called </span><span class="text14">British Artists at the Front</span><span class="text7"> published      in 1918. </span>
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<div class="para9">
<span class="text7">
<br/> </span>
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<div class="pbodytext">
<span class="text7">The accompanying commentary noted that, at the      beginning of the first world war, army recruits under 5 feet 2 inches tall      were rejected. But ‘in the factory districts of Lancashire and      Cheshire, the average stature is lower’. The desire to volunteer for      the army was so strong that men between 5 feet and 5 feet 2 inches tall      were recruited for ‘Bantam’ battalions. Kennington selected      this man for ‘his exceptional strength and vitality’. </span>
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Display caption
2004-12-21T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N03552</b> A BANTAM HERCULES 1917
<br/> 
<br/>Inscr. in pencil ‘E H Kennington’ and ‘A 12’, and in blue pencil ‘A "Bantam Serjeant [?] in the Cheshire Regiment [?]’ over an erased pencil inscription possibly reading ‘Serjeant P...’, and ‘Passed by Censor A N Lee Maj- GHQ IF 22/9/17’, all b.r.
<br/>Charcoal on grey paper, 30×19 (76×48).
<br/>Presented by Otto Gutekunst 1920.
<br/><i>Coll:</i>
Purchased by the donor at the Leicester Galleries 1918.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> Leicester Galleries, June–July 1918 (27).
<br/><i>Repr:</i> C. Dodgson and C. E. Montague, <i>British Artists at the Front, IV. Eric Kennington</i>, 1918, pl.4.</p>
<p>The artist wrote (9 April 1958): ‘A fine Regiment of short men. I selected this man for his exceptional strength and vitality.’</p>
<p>The following note appeared in <i>British Artists at the Front</i>: ‘In the autumn of 1914 recruits less than 5 feet 2 inches high were at first rejected. But in the factory districts of Lancashire and Cheshire the average stature is lower and the desire to volunteer for the war was there more general than anywhere else, and the importunities of the men between 5 ft. and 5 ft. 2 in. led to the enrolment of special “Bantam” battalions, which quickly filled....’</p>
<p>Major A. N. Lee, whose inscriptions as Censor appear on this work and <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/kennington-raider-with-a-cosh-n04075" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>N04075</span></a>, was a Territorial Army officer who acted as adviser to the Official <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/war-artists" title="Glossary definition for 'War Artists'"><span>War Artists</span></a>.</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, I
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-05T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
actions: postures and motions adults clothing and personal items emotions and human qualities emotions, concepts and ideas gun, rifle helmet man military objects people soldier standing strength uniform / kit weapons work and occupations