• Touring exhibition featuring original artwork produced during, and depicting scenes from, the Great War
• A diverse range of styles and subjects tracing events of the war, from both renowned and skilled amateur artists
• Panels provide the wartime story of both the art and artist for each piece.

Now available for hire as a touring exhibition, John Noott’s collection of First World War art in The Art of the Great War presents a diverse 'history in pictures' of the conflict from artists working at the time, both renowned and lesser-known.

Based in Broadway, John has been an art collector and dealer for over 50 years, and during this time has drawn together an incredible collection of WWI art. This new exhibition is a counterpart to The Art of World War II - another popular display previously hosted by Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum and also available for hire, which proved incredibly popular, showcasing a diverse range of original art from a unique mix of artists both amateur and professional, both up-and-coming and well-established.

The Art of the Great War presents a similarly broad range of original art and prints, all produced during, or depicting scenes from, ‘The War to End All Wars’. Capturing both the horrors of the conflict and snatched moments of humour during the darkest of times, together the collection provides a very human perspective of the events of 1914-1918.

The collection is a personal one for John, as he was inspired by childhood memories of his own father, who served in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the Great War’s often-forgotten Salonika campaign. Asked for a personal highlight from the exhibition, he points out one of the largest paintings on display by artist Henry C. Seppings Wright - an official artist to New Zealand forces. The striking piece depicts two German soldiers helping a wounded British Tommy out of a trench.

John explains,

“That, to me, it goes to say, we’re all human beings … why are we doing this?”.