Study: In for Repairs by Dame Laura Knight, graphite and watercolour on paper

This watercolour study by Dame Laura Knight is a preparatory drawing for the painting 'In for Repairs' (1942, Harris Museum and Library) that shows Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) operators repairing a damaged barrage balloon at RAF Wythall in Birmingham.

By the Second World War, Knight was an esteemed, mature painter and the first fully-elected female Royal Academician since the 18th century. As one of few women to receive official commissions, she pursued numerous short-term projects. In 1941, WAAF operators replaced men at RAF Balloon Command. Knight recorded women undertaking this physically demanding role, and the finished painting was selected for display at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. Bequest of the artist. Copyright: the artist's estate and Bridgeman Images / RAF Museum.