This portrait by William Dring has a very unusual composition. It is an extremely close-up view of Sub-Lieutenant Collard’s head, only his collar and the very top of his shoulders visible at the bottom of the composition. The portrait is drawn as though seen from above, and in almost full profile. Collard’s eyes are cast downwards as though he is deep in thought. The portrait is set against a blank, pale cream background. The drawing is signed and dated and is still in the original mount and frame from the War Artists Advisory Committee. [The original WAAC number is LD. 3002].

William Dring (1904-90) earned his reputation as a fine draughtsman and portrait painter whilst studying under Henry Tonks at the Slade School of Art between 1922 and 1925. He worked as a teacher of drawing and painting at the Southampton School of Art until 1940 when he was employed by the War Artist Advisory Committee, first as official war artist to the Admiralty and later to the Air Ministry. He made a large number of portrait drawings of individuals and groups, all remarkable for their informality. Dring travelled extensively to complete his commissions. The drawing is always precise and carefully modelled using pastel, a medium in which he specialised, and which allowed him to capture the likeness and spirit of his subjects quickly and under a variety of circumstances