Harry Baines was one of Britain's finest realistic figurative draughtsmen. He worked to a discipline, unfashionable for many years, which forged such exponents as Eric Kennington, A.K. Lawrence and James Stroudley. Baines brought to his favourite medium, charcoal, an uncommon warmth of handling, especially when recording the people of India.
Baines's love-affair with the sub-continent began during the Second World War. He served there with the Royal Engineers from 1941 to 1946, being seconded to the newly formed exhibitions division information department of the government of India as director of the design studio. His unit travelled widely, holding exhibitions to …