The Observer, Valley of the Meuse

After the Marines left the Champagne area on 10 October 1918, they joined the Meuse-Argonne offensive, an action that had begun in late September. During the night of 30 October and into the early hours of the next morning, Marines arrived at front-line positions south of Landres-et-St. George and would be engaged in battle until the Armistice was called on 11 November. Hornby’s intimate etching of the observer brings the viewer into the scene by allowing a glimpse of the terrain of the Meuse valley as seen from his camouflaged position.

Biography: Lester George Hornby studied at the Pape School of Arts in Boston, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Art Students League in New York City. In 1906, he began traveling and studying in France, creating his first copper engravings. He received international recognition for his artistry as an engraver. When war was declared in 1914, Hornby was living in France. He returned to Boston and in 1916 went back to France to live and work. After the entry of the United States into the war in 1917, Hornby obtained a pass to allow him to travel to the front lines. He did over 50 drawings and sketches a day. In his later years, he focused on teaching and rarely exhibited his works.