The Seventy Fives Follow Up - Kerr Eby

A poignant etching by Kerr Eby depicting soldiers and horse-drawn artillery moving through a ruined village during the First World War.

Kerr Eby, an American artist who served with the 40th Engineers during the First World War, produced a series of etchings that document the realities of life on the Western Front. The Seventy Fives Follow Up depicts a column of soldiers and horse-drawn artillery moving through a war-torn village. The title refers to the French 75mm field gun, a weapon that became iconic for its role in Allied operations.

Eby employs a loose, gestural line quality that captures the exhaustion and mud-caked atmosphere of the conflict. The composition focuses on the movement of troops past a ruined structure, using deep shadows to suggest the gloom of a rainy or overcast day. Unlike the heroic depictions common in official war art, Eby focuses on the physical burden carried by the infantry. The heavy packs, the slumped postures of the men, and the weary horses provide a direct observation of the conditions faced by those in the field.

This work belongs to a larger body of prints Eby created after his return to the United States, based on sketches he made while stationed in France. His technical proficiency with the etching needle allows for a range of textures, from the rough stone of the building to the wet, churned earth of the road. The print avoids sentimentality, presenting the logistical grind of warfare with a stark, observational clarity. It is a document of the mechanical and human effort required to sustain an army in motion. The work reflects the artist's own experiences, providing a view of the conflict that is grounded in the mundane, often brutal, realities of military service.