Robert Spence

Sarah Richardson writes about an etching by Robert Spence

Robert Spence was born in Tynemouth in 1871 into a Quaker family and trained as an artist in London and Paris. While he painted in oils, he is best known for his dry-point etchings.

Many of his etchings were based on events described in The Journal of George Fox. His style was strongly influenced by Rembrandt and he owned several original etchings by the Dutch master. Soon after the outbreak of the first world war, Robert Spence joined an ambulance unit in France. Spence produced several etchings after the war from his memories and sketches made at the time.

The scene portrayed in this etching shows soldiers being treated at an ambulance post. The ambulance unit in the etching appears to have taken over a large cave for their depot. Its original use may have been for storing wine, as they were in a wine-making region.

The image is the central part of Spence’s etching titled Field of Action, Souvenir of War, August 1918. In August the tide turned in the war, with victories by the British and French armies and their allies on the Somme battlefield. It was this campaign that led to the end of the first world war in November 1918. However, success was accompanied by massive loss of life. Many survivors had wounds that would be a permanent reminder of the war. In this scene, soldiers are being loaded into an ambulance. The uniforms show the men are French. The ambulance unit treated all wounded soldiers, friend and enemy alike.

As a result of his bravery rescuing soldiers under fire, Robert Spence was awarded the Croix-de-Guerre medal in 1915. At this time, he was about forty-four years old, which made his brave actions on the battlefield even more of an achievement.

Sarah is keeper of art at the Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne (Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums)

The etchings are on show in the Laing Art Gallery’s First World War exhibition until 19 October 2014.

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