Inscribed with title l.l. and signed and dated l.r.: James Boswell/1934 further inscribed with title l.l.

Brush with pen and ink, 29 by 24 cm (11 ¼ by 9 ½ ins)

Literature: Roger Blackley, James Boswell, 1906-1971: Graphic Works of the 1930s from the Collection of the Auckland City Art Gallery, exhibition catalogue, Auckland City Art Gallery, 1985
Arnold Rattenbury, James Boswell: Artist Against Fascism, exhibition catalogue, Manchester City Art Gallery 1986, p.4 (reproduced p.4); James Boswell: Extracting the Dream Reality, exhibition catalogue, Austin/Desmond Fine Art, London 1999

The facial types in His Majesty’s Servants (of which this is the original drawing for the related print), appear to have provided inspiration for the later work Empire Builders (Tate P01823) (1935). Rattenbury describes his technique ‘Human eyes are reduced to pinpoint, mouths are invariably clamped, bodies are bloated, corseted or in final collapse’ (Rattenbury, op cit, p.2). Roger Blackley suggested that this print was made in response to the 1934 Incitement to Disaffection Act which made it an offence to seduce a servicemen from his "duty or his allegiance" (Blackley, op cit, p.2). “The Act, widely criticised at the time as an unnecessary restriction of freedom of speech, eventually led to the foundation of the National Council for Civil Liberties.” (entry on Tate Gallery website)