**Victory and Defeat**
**Victory and Defeat**. This etching, part of the collection at the Imperial War Museum, explores themes of war through the image of a classic, statuesque figure of victory outshining his rival in an eternal struggle for power. The work, along with others in the series of etchings, drawings, and sculptures, was initially inspired by the years Hill spent as a competitive oarsman, reflecting on how the sport impacts body, mind, and spirit.
Victory and Defeat opened in 1983 as a public exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London. The display of artwork by Derek Hill featured various etchings and drawings from the “Victory and Defeat” series. The display was set up to acknowledge the acquisition of the artist’s etching titled “Victory and Defeat”.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/13013
The collection below includes suites of zinc, copper, and steel plate etchings, lithographs, and charcoal drawings. Plate sizes range from 30 x 30 cm, 30 x 50cm and 45 x 75 cm. Offset lithograph sizes are 4 plates measuring 1.25 x 1.50 m. Also included are several small painted wooden and metal maquette sculpture studies celebrating victory.
https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/cat/victory-defeat/
The theme of victory and defeat inspired the creation of a large collection of etchings, lithographs, drawings, and sculptures. This theme influenced the choice of media, expanding options to include materials that offered greater expressive freedom. The actions depicted in these works reflect a rhythmic process of creation, resulting in lithographs and etchings that gradually became more intense, expressive, free, abstract, and contorted. The central connection between the etching and the theme of war is the exploration of victory and defeat. This artwork, created in a traditional symbolic style, features two figures in statuesque poses. It serves as a universal depiction of the extremes of the human experience: victory and defeat, life and death. The etchings from the “Victory and Defeat” series are part of the public collection at the Imperial War Museum in London. Most etchings and lithographs from this collection are accessible on this website and through Google media platforms. Additional information about the printmaking collections and suites of etchings can be found there. The Victory & Defeat series was established in 1982 during Hill’s postgraduate days at the Royal College of Art (RCA), inspired by earlier experiences as a competitive rower. The exhibition debuted at the RCA in 1982 and was featured at Christie’s and the Imperial War Museum in 1983. The project continued with a fellowship at the Artescape Trust in Lincoln and a residency at Bishop Grosseteste University, where various sculptures, prints, and drawings based on the theme were created for additional exhibitions. https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/cat/about-derek-hill/. IWM Collections Victorious and Defeated: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=&pageSize=30&media-records=records-with-media&filters%5BwebCategory%5D%5BArt%5D=on&filters%5BperiodString%5D%5B1945-1989%5D=on&filters%5BplaceString%5D%5BGreat+Britain+GB%5D=on
