Cheshire Antiques Consultant Ltd has dated this Naval Marine Watercolour Painting to the 1960s.
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Highlights
Commander Eric Erskine Campbell Tufnell (British, 1888–1978)
Original 1963 naval watercolour
Depicts Yamato during Operation Ten-Go
Signed “E. TUFNELL” lower right
Inscribed with the *Yamato* title and date lower left
Commissioned through The Parker Gallery, London
Original 1963 Parker Gallery correspondence and invoice
Private commission for Mr Banks of Tadley, Hampshire
Period glazed frame
Introduction
A dramatic Second World War naval watercolour by Commander Eric Erskine Campbell Tufnell depicting the Japanese battleship *Yamato* during her final sortie on 7 April 1945.
Painted in 1963, only eighteen years after the event, the work was privately commissioned through The Parker Gallery, Albemarle Street, London.
Particularly noteworthy is the survival of the original Parker Gallery correspondence and invoice relating directly to the commission.
Catalogue Note
Tufnell places Yamato at the centre of an intensely active composition. Aircraft cross the sky while towering columns of water, smoke and fire surround the battleship.
His naval background is reflected in the disciplined rendering of the vessels, while freely handled washes and heightened white create the atmosphere and violence of the attack.
On 7 April 1945 Yamato, accompanied by the light cruiser Yahagi and eight destroyers, came under sustained attack from U.S. carrier aircraft during Operation Ten-Go. Repeated bomb and torpedo strikes eventually caused the battleship to capsize and explode north of Okinawa.
The Artist
Commander Eric Erskine Campbell Tufnell was a Royal Navy officer and specialist British marine painter.
His professional naval experience informed his depictions of named warships and historical maritime actions. Tufnell became closely associated with The Parker Gallery in London, which handled his marine paintings and arranged private commissions.
Provenance
Commissioned from Commander Eric Tufnell in 1963 for Mr Banks of Tadley, Hampshire, through The Parker Gallery, 2 Albemarle Street, London.
Original Parker Gallery correspondence and invoice, August–October 1963.
Private collection.
The Cotswold Auction Company.
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.
Dimensions
Framed: 44 × 54 × 1.4 cm.
Condition Report
Good vintage condition commensurate with age.
Age-related toning and foxing are visible to the watercolour.
The period frame displays scuffs, small chips and surface wear consistent with age and previous display.
Presented beneath glass.
Shipping
Worldwide shipping is available.
Owing to the glazed presentation and dimensions of the framed watercolour, it will be professionally packaged using appropriate protective materials and dispatched fully insured.
International buyers are welcome. Please contact us for a destination-specific delivery quotation or to discuss any particular shipping requirements.
Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution
The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the artwork’s catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record.
Cheshire Antiques Consultant Ltd has dated this Naval Marine Watercolour Painting to the 1960s.
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