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Alan Sorrell:
Study for The Nelson Bar, HMS Campania, 1951
Mounted (ref: 5776)
Colour study Gouache on paper, squared
12.5 x 81.2 cm (5 x 32 in.)
Tags: Alan Sorrell drawing gouache big pictures murals
Provenance: The artist's son, Richard Sorrell
Literature:
Sacha Llewellyn & Richard Sorrell (ed), Alan Sorrell; the Life and Works of an English Neo-Romantic Artist, (Bristol: Sansom & Co.) 2013, pp. 122-125.
In 1951 Sorrell was approached to do some work for the Festival of Britain: he was asked to paint a mural for the Nelson Bar of the Campania, an aircraft carrier that the Admiralty had offered to the FOB organisers as a floating exhibition hall.
Sorrell was also asked to paint three reconstruction paintings for the Dome of Discovery.
The light hearted mural painting Working Boats from Around the British Coast was one of his jolliest paintings. It was painted on 5 panels and measured 914cms (360inches) in length.
Sorrell’s early commercial art experience served him well when he came to do the lettering on this picture.
