Art and citizenship in conflict

<i>Art and Citizenship in Conflict</i><i> </i>examines the work of women war artists in order to highlight the complexity of citizenship and gender in Britain during the Second World War. Evelyn Dunbar Mary Kessell Ethel Gabain Stella Schmolle and Laura Knight among others were commissioned by the War Artists' Advisory Committee (WAAC) to document the millions of women who took up sometimes unconventional roles-in agriculture the auxiliary services and manufacturing among others-to support the British war effort. Indeed their prints drawings and paintings were part of a broader scheme to uphold morale and promote much-needed citizen involvement on the home front. While there is growing interest the importance of their remit in the history of the Second World War and the quality of their artistry have nonetheless not yet secured them a significant place in scholarship. <i>Art and Citizenship in Conflict</i> seeks to amend this gap.