Aboard a Minesweeping Trawler, circa 1939-45, by Charles Pears (1873-1958), oil on canvas, 15 1h x 25 inches. Charles Pears was an official war artist in both conflicts, but this painting was not a government commission. It is uncharacteristically small for Pears, who usually painted important actions on a large scale. H ere he focuses on a minesweeper in rough weather. The men on the deck hail a naval whaler, possibly transferring officer-s from another ship. The muted palette and expressive hands convey the risks ofthe scene.
(left) Wren "Torpedoman" Servicing Torpedo Tubes, circa 1943-44, by Gladys E. Reed, 5B pencil on paper. Included in the collection are a series of sketches by Gladys E. Reed, whom the museum knows little about. In 1947, Reed presented a folder offou rteen sketches she had made during the time she served in the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) as a wireless telegraph operator. She said she made the sketches during her off-watch hours and was apologetic about their "untidy" condition, explaining in her correspondence that they were sketched "under all sorts of conditions. "Reed's sketches provide an intimate snapshot of what life and work was like for women serving in the war through the eyes of one of their own. The museum is actively seeking information about, and potentially additional works by, Gladys Reed and encourages readers to contact them if anyone recognizes her work or the artist's name. More ofReed's sketches can be found on the museum's website (www.rmg.co.uk).
Marlag 'O' February '44 S.W. Corner of Naval Officers Prison Camp, Westertimke, Germany, in Winter, by j ohn Worsley (1919-2000), watercolor, 20 x 25 inches. john Worsley was captured by the Germans off the coast of Italy in November 1943 and sent to a naval officers' prison camp, MarlagNordin, near Bremen, Germany. There, he continued to paint and draw with materials p rovided to him by the Red Cross. Worsley was also involved in a celebrated escape attempt using a dummy prisoner made from papiermachi, which later became the subject of the feature film Albert R. N.
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War Artists at Sea is currently on exhibit at the Queen's House, Royals Museums Greenwich, UK, through February 2015. More images and information can be found online at www.rmg.co.uklqueens-house. Dr. Melanie Vandenbrouck is the museum's curator ofart. J,
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