War Memorial, Manchester

James Patchell Chettle 1871 - 1944

Summary

Painted in the aftermath of the air raid on Manchester during the second world war, the painting depicts a view from Major Street looking towards the Grand Hotel and Portland Street. Of the structure only two walls remain, and one is only half standing. The ruin is depicted in brick red and light brown-orange, with mint green detail across the crumbling wall in the foreground of the picture. Other surviving buildings stand in the background. The title of the work invites one to feel that despite the destruction and damage, one must remain ideologically undefeated, by labelling this work as a ‘memorial’. The painting is impressionistic with highly textured paintwork and impasto detailing.