painting, On the Bridge
Report a Mistake- Object Number 19820303-252
- Event 1939-1945 Second World War
- Affiliation --
- Artist / Maker / Manufacturer Colville, Captain Alex
- Date Made 1944/08/24
- Category Communication artifacts
- Sub-category Art
- Department Art and Memorials
- Museum CWM
- Earliest 1944/08/24
- Latest 1944/08/24
- Inscription (verso) HMCS PRINCE DAVID / ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY (verso) RCNO 204 / "ON THE BRIDGE" / WATERCOLOUR / 15" X 22" / 24 AUG 44 / LT. D.A COLVILLE
- Medium watercolourinkpastel
- Support cardboard
- Materials Not applicable
- Service Component Royal Canadian Navy
- Unit HMCS Prince David
- Measurements Height 39.0 cm, Width 56.7 cm
- Caption On the Bridge
- Additional Information Alex Colville painted this view of the bridge of HMCS Prince David, a Canadian infantry landing ship serving in the Mediterranean. An officer (right) keeps watch with binoculars, while another member of the crew, wearing a Prince David sweatshirt, sunglasses, and headphones, operates equipment, possibly a radar set (bottom left). Following their involvement in the successful landings in the south of France early on 15 August 1944, Prince David and HMCS Prince Henry, another Canadian infantry landing ship, continued to transport reinforcements to the invasion area until the 24th.
- Caption Alex Colville (1920 - 2013)
- Additional Information Internationally recognized as one of Canada's leading artists, Alex Colville spent most of his youth in Amherst, Nova Scotia, and later attended nearby Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. After graduation he joined the Canadian Army and was appointed a war artist. Upon arriving in London, Colville was stationed with a supply unit in Yorkshire. He subsequently travelled to the Mediterranean, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. In 1946 he returned to Mount Allison as a teacher. Following his retirement in 1963, Colville devoted all of his time to painting. He moved to Wolfville in 1973 and from 1981 to 1991 served as Chancellor of Acadia University.