AN ENGLISH CUBIST

---

WILLIAM ROBERTS:

Machine Gunners

---

Illustration © The Estate of John David Roberts. Reproduced with the permission of the William Roberts Society. Catalogue information based on the catalogue raisonné by David Cleall. For this and full details of the exhibitions cited, see the links below. Any auction prices quoted may not include all fees and taxes, such as VAT and Artist's Resale Right charges.

Machine Gunners, 1915
Ink

Published in Blast no. 2, p. 87 (as Drawing [sic]).
In A Reply to My Biographer Sir John Rothenstein, Roberts wrote:

Early in 1915 Lewis, as editor, asked me to contribute two drawings to Blast No. 2, the War number. He said 'keep them simple, it is easier for the Block-maker.' I did two 'simple' line drawings, one I called 'Machine Gunners' the other 'Combat'. When I gave Lewis these drawings I did not know what his contributions would be. Later when Blast was published my 'Machine Gunners' carried the plain title 'A drawing', whilst upon the front cover appeared a large intricate line drawing of machine gunners [titled Before Antwerp] by Lewis.