Pacific Theater Naval Battle in Watercolor by David Foster Pratt (1918-2010)

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A stunning depiction of a full-on naval battle at night, this watercolor is an expressive work consistent with the visionary … Read more A stunning depiction of a full-on naval battle at night, this watercolor is an expressive work consistent with the visionary and "fantastic" style of David Foster Pratt (1918–2010).
While Pratt is primarily known for his landscapes of Western New York, this piece likely stems from his experiences during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Pratt was stationed in Hawaii and the South Pacific with the 106th Field Artillery Division. During "blackout hours" in his barracks, he produced a series of approximately a dozen small, intensely personal paintings that captured the "stress and rigors of having to prepare for battle."
Rather than a literal, technical rendering of warships, the vessels and the sea are treated as shifting, energetic forms, giving the viewer a taste of the sensory impact of being there. The "solidity" of the ships appears to dissolve into the atmosphere, a common trait in Pratt's work. The white plumes—representing water geysers from falling shells—and the dark, roiling smoke clouds create a sense of constant motion. This rhythmic brushwork was often inspired by Pratt's love for jazz music, which he used as a mental framework for his improvisational style. Most of Pratt’s wartime works are held in private collections or by the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo, which preserves a large archive of his "Fantastic Landscapes" and preparatory sketches.
Signature: Faint, lower right (photo #6). Unframed dimensions: 15.5”w x 11.25”h. See less