Charles Sims

Sacrifice

Artist: Charles Sims

Media: Oil on canvas
Dimensions:  76.2 x 71.8cm
Date: 1918

Charles Sims was born in London in 1873. His parents sent him to Paris to learn commerce. Charles soon gave up commerce to study art full time at the Royal College of Art in 1890. Charles became a member of the Royal Watercolor Society in 1911. He was then made an official War Artist in 1918. Seeing the horrors of war were so traumatic for Charles that he never fully recovered from it. He ended his life by suicide in 1928. More info

 It appears the harsh reality of war that Charles saw shows in much of his work. The painting Sacrifice shows the dark and dreary environment of the war. Taking front and center of this piece is the image of Jesus on the cross. I seems as though Charles is telling his audience, the only salvation for the atrocities of war is the sacrifice Jesus made.