The Official Colours of War - Recording Malta in WWII(Paperback)
In Britain, governmentsponsored schemes engaged artists on a contractual basis to document both the
First and Second World Wars. Official war artists were mainly appointed for propaganda purposes but the
recording of the war in visual terms was also undertaken to preserve its memory. Leslie Cole was sent to
Malta in April 1943 to document ‘the extraordinary dramatic and historic scenes’ present on the island as
official correspondence had clarified that ‘photographs don’t really do it adequately.’
The Official Colours of War, with over 120 documents, drawings and paintings, examines Cole’s sixmonth
sojourn on the island and explores the pictorial suggestions made to the visiting war artist by Governor
Gort and his deputy, David CallenderCampbell. Cole recorded Malta’s civilian contribution to the war
effort but significantly refrained from painting scenes which displayed the full extent of architectural
destruction on the island. The war artist travelled to Pantelleria, Lampedusa and Sicily from Malta and his
private correspondence contextualises the challenging role of an official artist operating on the frontline to
record unfolding history.