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The Boats Were Machine-Gunned

© transferred to MCGs from the War Artists Advisory Committee, Ministry of Information (1947). Image credit: Manchester Art Gallery

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Factual scene of two warplanes attacking a group of vulnerable British sailing boats. During the Second World War the artist worked as an offical war artist to the admiralty. A German sea-plane strafes two sail boats with machine-gun fire in the foreground, small white patches can be seen where the bullets strike the calm waters. A second plane (possibly a Ju 88) dives through the sky towards the sail boats in the background. Bodies are visible lying in the bottom of the nearest boat. There is a pale sun behind clouds in the top left corner, which is illuminating the far left section of the sea. The sea is a dark grey whereas in contrast the sky is bright, and is depicted in white tones, with some dark patches representing smoke from machine fire.

Manchester Art Gallery

Manchester

Title

The Boats Were Machine-Gunned

Date

1941

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 92.3 x W 117.5 cm

Accession number

1947.394

Acquisition method

gift from HM Government, War Artists Advisory Committee, 1947

Work type

Painting

Inscription description

artist's inscription : : blc : artist's name : R. EURICH. 1941

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Manchester Art Gallery

Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester M2 3JL England

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