The London Blitz – Interior of an Air Raid Shelter by Claude Rowberry, gouache and charcoal on paper

This drawing represents a large group of people in a communal shelter, taking refuge during an air raid. It is one of many subjects depicted by Lieutenant Colonel Claude Rowberry in the Second World War.

Rowberry, a self-taught artist, had always compulsively sketched the scenes he encountered. His First World War drawings recall his time as a sergeant on the Western Front with the Tank Corps, while his Second World War works typically represent the devastation of urban architecture and loss of civilian life. However, in some he focused on the calm perseverance of huddled figures amid the adversity of the Blitz. Purchased in 2001. Copyright: the artist's estate / RAF Museum.