Continental Port

"My father was a chaplain on the beaches of Dunkirk. He was from Yorkshire and my mother went to Bradford School of Art, where she knew Richard Eurich. In 1951 my father used his war bonus to purchase this picture from the artist at an exhibition in Bradford. It had been exhibited at The Royal Academy in the Spring exhibition of 1948. Eurich drew my father's attention to the story the picture tells. The omen of war is depicted by the peaceful tall masted ship coming into the safety of the harbour, and a black-smoked camouflaged warship sets out. The …

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"My father was a chaplain on the beaches of Dunkirk. He was from Yorkshire and my mother went to Bradford School of Art, where she knew Richard Eurich. In 1951 my father used his war bonus to purchase this picture from the artist at an exhibition in Bradford. It had been exhibited at The Royal Academy in the Spring exhibition of 1948. Eurich drew my father's attention to the story the picture tells. The omen of war is depicted by the peaceful tall masted ship coming into the safety of the harbour, and a black-smoked camouflaged warship sets out. The red masted ship is a Channel Light Ship, which were all brought in to harbour in case war should break out. Eurich also placed Athena, Goddess of War overlooking the harbour, where the fishing vessels are drying out their nets. Eurich told my father that the painting was a composite from sketches he made while on a summer freighter cruise visiting the various channel ports only a month or so before war was declared. The "D" on the ships were for Dunkirk"

Some of the venues and dates in various records of this work do not match, so it is difficult to be sure which ones are correct. The RA list the painting as being shown in the 1942 summer show rather than 1948. Richard mentions selling the painting in 1947 in his diary (see comment below) but has it down as being sold in 1948 in his sales diary, although if the work was sold late in 1948, he may not have received the payment until early in 1949.

Judging from the price realised at the 2010 auction of this painting, it is much appreciated these days. RE valued it highly too just after he painted it, putting a high price of £200 on it when it was first exhibited in 1941. However, according to a note in RE's diary in 1947, it was not so popular in the forties:

Telegram from Nan Kivell [of the Redfern Gallery] saying there was an offer of £75 for the `Continental Port ‘ (40x50). I decided to accept this if he consented as the picture has been everywhere and we must get …

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Judging from the price realised at the 2010 auction of this painting, it is much appreciated these days. RE valued it highly too just after he painted it, putting a high price of £200 on it when it was first exhibited in 1941. However, according to a note in RE's diary in 1947, it was not so popular in the forties:

Telegram from Nan Kivell [of the Redfern Gallery] saying there was an offer of £75 for the `Continental Port ‘ (40x50). I decided to accept this if he consented as the picture has been everywhere and we must get rid of it.

We know from correspondence with the owner in 2003 that the painting was in the USA before being sold at auction in 2010.