The war at sea: a series of paintings by Norman Wilkinson.

T h i s collection of official war pictures has bccn made available by the British Ministry o f I n f o rma t i on in Australia f o r the United K i ngdom. I t is being exhibited u n d e r the direction o f the Board of Managemen t , Australian Wa r Memorial, i n co- operation w i t h the Trustees o f the Na t i ona l Art Galleries. FOREWORD By the F i r s t S e a Lord A D M I R A L O F T H E F L E E T S I R A N D R E W B. CUNNINGHAM, BART., G . C . B . , D.S.O. IT is a g r e a t p l e a s u r e t o m e t o w r i t e a f o r e w o r d t o t h i s c a t a l o g u e o f s e a pictures. W e a r e o f necessity a n a t i o n o f s e a f a r e r s a n d i t is t h e r e f o r e i m p o r t a n t that o u r s h i p s a n d the me n who m a n t h em s h o u l d l)e t r u l y a n d w e l l p r e s e n t e d to t h e p e o p l e s o f o u r Emp i r e i n a r t as w e l l as i n l i t e r a t u r e a n d music. G o o d p i c t u r e s o f s h i p s p r o c e e d i n g a b o u t t h e i r b u s i n e s s a r e r a r e , w i t h the r e s u l t t h a t t h e N a v y a n d t h e M e r c h a n t Service suffer i n some r e s p e c t s compared w i t h o t h e r Services. I t is a l l t h e m o r e f o r t u n a t e t h a t i n N o r m a n W i l k i n s o n the Navy h a s a f r i e n d w h o h a s i n t e r p r e t e d t h e life a t sea w i t h s u c h a s u r e h a n d and fine r e a l i sm . H e h a s always l o v e d t h e sea a n d b e e n d e e p l y i n t e r e s t e d i n the w o r k o f t h e N a v y , a n d lie s e r v e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e l a s t w a r as a n officer i n the R o y a l N a v a l V o l u n t e e r Reserve. T h e fifty-four p i c t u r e s n o w b e i n g s h o w n t o t h e P u b l i c P r e s e n t t w o a n d a half years' w o r k a n d r a n g e o v e r t h e w o r k o f t h e Na v y , t h e M e r c h a n t N a v y and C o a s t a l C o m m a n d , a l l p a r t n e r s i n t h e w a r a t sea. I t is t y p i c a l o f Norman W i l k i n s o n t h a t h e s h o u l d give t h e s e p i c t u r e s t o t h e n a t i o n , a n d I k n o w I express t h e a p p r e c i a t i o n o f t h e Navy wh e n I t h a n k h i m f o r t h i s m o s t g e n e r o u s and w e l c ome gift. T h e p u b l i c w i l l b e n o less a n x i o u s t h a n t h e N a v y t o e n j o y t h e p i c t u r e s and pay t r i b u t e t o t h e i r s u p e r b a r t i s t r y a n d t o t h e g e n e r o s i t y o f t h e artist. I sincerely h o p e t h e y w i l l b e s h o w n a n d a p p r e c i a t e d w i d e l y b o t h a t h o m e and i n t h e E m p i r e overseas. i o August, 1944.