Is Source A A Reliable Interpretation Of Dunkirk?

Is Source A a Reliable Interpretation of Dunkirk?

Source A is a painting of troops fleeing from the beaches of Dunkirk commissioned by the British government and painted by war painter Charles Cundall after the events of 1940 took place. The painting shows a stylized view of the battle of Dunkirk and operation dynamo. The painting does correspond with what we already know of the battle of Dunkirk and operation Dynamo, British and French troops stranded on the beaches and rescued by an expedition of naval and civilian vessels. The painting does show this but perhaps not as accurately as a photograph or film.

The problem with this source is the fact that it is a painting. Firstly we do not know how accurate it truly is as we do not know whether Charles Cundall was there or relied on second hand facts. The painting as well only shows a certain part of the beach, there could have been an entirely different scene further up or down the beach. In our understanding the big naval vessels could not get as close to the beach as shown in the painting, which was why the smaller boats were used and the troops look as if they had just arrived and were fleeing for the lives, where we have learned that they sat on the beaches for a number of hours before they were rescued. Another problem is the fact that this was commissioned by the British government and therefore is almost guaranteed to be biased and to glorify the British part in it. The predicament is that since it is a painting, like a photograph, it only shows the events at that exact moment and time, not a second before or after. The smoke in the background may not have been present, but it is used in this instance to represent the German advance and we do not know to whom the planes above belong to.

The source however agrees with some of the events we know took place, as in the case the soldiers being rescued off the beaches by small boats manned by civilians