Peter Petersen Toft Art

A portait of the first Allied airship to perform a bombing raid from the sky by a celebrated artist whose work hung on the Titanic. Watercolor and ink on heavy wove watercolor paper, 10 5/8 x 15 inches (270 x 380 mm). Signed in black watercolor in the lower right image area. In very good condition with minor surface soiling on the verso. Titled "Verdun" in pencil on the verso in the artist's hand. Adhered on the verso to matboard at the extreme margins with non archival tape. Presented handsomely in a simple, period maple frame. Titled, dated, inscribed and initialed by the artist on a label on the frame back. Born in Cambridge in 1898 and educated at Southsea School of Art, Norman Wilkinson is known for his graphic art, specifically his British Railway poster images, and also for something quite incredible; Wilkinson revolutionized the art of naval camouflage. Having been assigned to submarine patrols in Dardanelles, Gallipoli, and Gibraltar during WWI as a member of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, Wilkinson was deeply troubled by the unprecedented success the German submarine fleet had torpedoing British ships. He hoped to find a solution to this gaping vulnerability, and in a lightning bolt moment, he had an epiphany that would change everything. Wilkinson says in his autobiography, A Brush With Life (Seeley, 1969), that he realized a ship could be painted to hide its shape against the sea and sky. In his own words, Wilkinson states that the hull of a ship could be camouflaged "not for low visibility, but in such a way as to break up her form and thus confuse a submarine officer as to the course on which she was heading." After some preliminary testing, the theory Wilkinson called "dazzle camouflage" was accepted by British Admiralty and Wilkinson was placed in charge of the naval camouflage unit. The unit, which was headquartered in the basement of the Royal Academy of Arts, consisted of Wilkinson and about two dozen "camoufleurs;" they were artists, students, model makers and consultants, including a zoologist. The dazzle schemes were tested on models and then distributed to artists who were stationed at the docks, where the ships would be painted. At the end of the war Wilkinson was formally declared the inventor of dazzle camouflage and awarded for his contribution. Wilkinson went on to enjoy a long and celebrated career as a painter of maritime scenes, naval vessels, and warships. He served as the president of the Royal Institute of Painter in Water Colours (RI) from 1936 until 1963 (having been elected a member in 1906); he was elected Honourable Marine Painter to the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1919, and he was a member of the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, the Royal Society of Marine Artists, and the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour. In 1918 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and a Commander of the Order (CBE) in 1948. In January 1920 he was appointed knight (chevalier) of the Belgian Order of the Crown. Among the many notable points of interest regarding Wilkinson's career is that his painting Plymouth Harbour, which was commissioned by Cunard White Star Lines for the first class smoking room of the RMS Titanic, was lost at sea when it perished with the ship. Wilkinson had also created a comparable painting entitled The Approach to the New World, which hung in the same location on the Titanic's sister ship, the RMS Olympic...

Venice is an original artwork realized in the 1870s by Friedrich Paul Nerly (1842-1919). Watercolor. Hand signed on the lower right margin. Includes a beautiful gilded frame.

English School, 18th century Pen and black ink with gray wash on cream laid paper, 9 1/4 x 5 inches (238 x132 mm). 1/4 inch repaired loss, top center, to the left of the figure’s h...

Composition is an original contemporary artwork realized in the 1980s by the Italian Contemporary artist Leo Guida (1992 - 2017). Original drawings in mixed media (watercolor, ink...

Female Figure is an original artwork realized in the 1970s by the Italian Contemporary artist Leo Guida (1992 - 2017). Original drawings in charcoal, china ink, and Watercolor on ...

An early Devonshire landscape, ex-collection West Collection of British Watercolors & the Fine Art Society, London. Circa 1800 Ink and brown wash on paper, 7 1/8 x 10 1/4 inches (...

Pensatori is an original drawing in mixed media on creamy cardboard realized by Gabriele Galantara (1865-1937). In good conditions. This is an original drawing representing two me...

Saint Louis is an marvelous original drawings in watercolor and pencil, realized by an Anonymous Artist of the XX century. The artwork represents a spiritual expression by depicting...

Trial is the original ink and watercolor on paper realized by Anonymous artist of the XIX Century. The state of preservation is good. Sheet dimension: 24.5 x 31.5 Image Dimensions:...

The Seascape is a Watercolor Drawing realized by Mino Maccari (1924-1989) in the 1960s. Hand-signed on the lower. Good condition. Mino Maccari (Siena, 1924-Rome, June 16, 1989) w...

Nude of Woman is an original watercolor realized by Silvio Loffredo in 1956. Good condition on a yellowed paper. Hand-signed by the artist on the lower margin. On the back another...

Costume di Chieuti-Albanesi, 1820 c.a. Watercolour on ivory colored paper, 1820 c.a.. Hand-titled "Costume di Chieuti-Albanesi", with autograph caption black ink "Provincia di Basili...