Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art is a free exhibition that tells the story of London during the Second World War, as seen by artists.
“We stood on the hill above Basingstoke…and we watched this great glow in the sky. And we decided that was London burning. It couldn’t have been anything else. And the next day we were told that there had been this very bad air raid.”
– Interview with Margaret Lees, a British nurse, recalls witnessing an air raid over London in 1940.
See
As bombs rained down in 1940s London, artists responded. See art that presents a city both familiar and strange in over 45 paintings and drawings alongside photographs, film, objects and oral histories.
Londoners faced loss, displacement, overcrowding and shortages. Amid exhaustion and trauma, people showed an astonishing degree of adaptability. See the work that brings their world to life, from the iconic resilience of St Paul’s Cathedral to the devastation of the Docklands.
Do
Enjoy the work of artists such as Edward Ardizzone, Evelyn Dunbar, Bernard Hailstone and many others.
The exhibition is suitable for both adults and children. Families can enjoy a child-friendly ‘stamper’ trail and activity sheet that encourages children to spot details, ask questions and engage with the artworks.
We recommend allowing 60 minutes to enjoy this exhibition as part of your visit to IWM London.
For more information, visit Imperial War Museum
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