The Welsh at Mametz Wood (painting)
| The Welsh at Mametz Wood | |
|---|---|
Oil on canvas | |
| Dimensions | 173.0 cm × 274.3 cm (68.1 in × 108.0 in) |
| Location | Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales |
| Accession | NMW A 3509 |
The Welsh at Mametz Wood by
Welsh Charge at Mametz Wood
Mametz Wood was the objective of the
First Battle of the Somme. The attack was made in a northerly direction over a ridge, focusing on the German positions in the wood, between 7 July and 12 July 1916. On 7 July the men formed the first wave intending to take the wood in a matter of hours. However, strong fortification, machineguns and shelling killed and injured over 400 soldiers before they reached the wood. Further attacks by the 17th Division on 8 July failed to improve the position. [4]
The 14th (
Welsh Regiment, went into the attack with 676 men and after a day of hard fighting had lost almost 400 men killed or wounded before being relieved. Other battalions suffered similar losses. However, by 12 July the wood was effectively cleared of the enemy. The Welsh Division had lost about 4,000 men killed or wounded in the engagement. It would not be used in a massed attack again until 31 July 1917.[4]
Making of the painting
Williams had come to the attention of David Lloyd George after painting the first of three portraits of Lloyd George in the summer of 1911. Lloyd George described him as "one of the most gifted artists Wales has produced". While in Mametz Wood painting this work Christopher Williams was arrested after being mistaken for a German Spy.[5]
See also
Bibliography
Notes
References
- Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales (2021). "The Welsh at Mametz Wood". Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- National Portrait Gallery (2021). "Picturing Conflict: the Arts of War The Welsh at Mametz Wood". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- Renshaw, Michael (1999). Mametz Wood. Cooper. ISBN 9780850526646. - Total pages: 176
- Wales at War (2021). "The Welsh at Mametz Wood". Wales at War. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- Wales Arts (2011). "Christopher Williams". BBC. Retrieved 7 July 2021.