Biography Sold

Presentation: Framed
Signed
Gouache on card, grisaille
17 × 11-1/2 in. (43.2 × 29.3 cm)
Literature: Deeds That Thrill The Empire, Hutchinson, London 1915, p. 71.

This gouache was produced for Deeds That Thrill the Empire: True Stories of the Most Glorious Acts of Heroism of the Empire’s Soldiers and Sailors During the GreatWar, which was published by Hutchinson in instalments throughout the FirstWorldWar . It shows a land plane directing the fire of HMS Mersey and Severn on the German Cruiser SMS Konigsberg in the Rufigi Delta in July 1915.
SMS Konigsberg was reduced to a wreck during this battle.

Arthur JamesWeatherall Burgess RI was appointed Official Naval Artist for the Commonwealth of Australia in 1918.

Thumbnail panels:

Arthur James Wetherall Burgess 1879 - 1957

Marine artist and editor, born in Bombala, New South Wales, Australia. He studied art in Sydney and St Ived, Cornwall. As well as being art editor of Brassey's Naval and Shipping Annual, Burgess was Australia's official naval artist in 1918. Showed at RI and ROI both of which he was member, RA, RHA, RBA and elsewhere. National Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney and several British public collections, including Lincoln and Nuneaton, hold examples. Settled in London, where he was a member of Langham Sketch Club. Malcolm Innes Gallery held a show of Burgess' marine, fishing and ski-ing oils and watercolours in 1996.