Anthony Saunders (born 1964) is a British artist and painter, best known for his aviation and marine oil paintings.
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Anthony Saunders | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1964 England |
| Occupation | Artist |
| Known for | Aviation and Marine Painting |
Anthony Saunders (born 1964) is a British artist and painter, best known for his aviation and marine oil paintings.
Anthony Saunders | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Born | 1964 England |
| Occupation | Artist |
| Known for | Aviation and Marine Painting |
Anthony Saunders was born in England in 1964. As a boy, he was fascinated by aviation, citing his earliest memory as seeing his family car airlifted onto the Armstrong Whitworth AW.660. He became a professional artist in the early 2000s. [1]
His work primarily focuses on the energy and power of aircraft and ships, often depicting historical military engagements with a high degree of historical accuracy. Saunders spends considerable time researching each composition to ensure technical and historical correctness.
His art includes not only aviation themes but also extends to other subjects like historical scenes from Waterloo and the Crimea. His paintings are known for their vibrant use of oil colours, bringing to life the dynamism of aerial combat and marine battles. [2]
Saunders' works are popular among collectors and are sold through various galleries specialising in military and aviation art. His art is appreciated for both its artistic quality and its historical fidelity, making it sought after by enthusiasts and historians alike.
Many of his works have been published as limited edition prints, often signed by both the artist and surviving pilots or crew members from the depicted scenes, adding a layer of historical authenticity and personal connection. [3]
The late Squadron Leader George 'Johnny' Johnson (RAF officer), who was the last surviving original member of the "Dambusters" raid of 1943, said of Saunders, "I would like to stress the accuracy and attention to detail which is so much a pattern of Anthony's work. You can see exactly what is happening just by looking at the picture. There is simply no need for written words; the story is there on cavas for all to see." [4]
Aviation artists
The Dam Busters is a 1955 British epic docudrama war film starring Richard Todd and Michael Redgrave, that was directed by Michael Anderson. Adapted by R. C. Sherriff from the books The Dam Busters (1951) by Paul Brickhill and Enemy Coast Ahead (1946) by Guy Gibson, the film depicts the true story of Operation Chastise when in 1943 the RAF's 617 Squadron attacked the Möhne, Eder, and Sorpe dams in Nazi Germany with Barnes Wallis's bouncing bomb.
Operation Chastise, commonly known as the Dambusters Raid, was an attack on German dams carried out on the night of 16/17 May 1943 by 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command, later called the Dam Busters, using special "bouncing bombs" developed by Barnes Wallis. The Möhne and Edersee dams were breached, causing catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and of villages in the Eder valley; the Sorpe Dam sustained only minor damage. Two hydroelectric power stations were destroyed and several more damaged. Factories and mines were also damaged and destroyed. An estimated 1,600 civilians – about 600 Germans and 1,000 enslaved labourers, mainly Soviet – were killed by the flooding. Despite rapid repairs by the Germans, production did not return to normal until September. The RAF lost 56 aircrew, with 53 dead and 3 captured, amid losses of 8 aircraft.
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This is a list of aviation-related events from 1918:
Number 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron, originally based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire and currently based at RAF Marham in Norfolk. It is commonly known as "The Dambusters", for its actions during Operation Chastise against German dams during the Second World War. In the early 21st century it operated the Panavia Tornado GR4 in the ground attack and reconnaissance role until being disbanded on 28 March 2014. The Dambusters reformed on 18 April 2018, and was equipped at RAF Marham in June 2018 with the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning, becoming the first squadron to be based in the UK with this advanced STOVL type. The unit is composed of both RAF and Royal Navy personnel, and operates from the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
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Squadron Leader John Leslie Munro, was a Royal New Zealand Air Force pilot during World War II and the last surviving pilot of the Dambusters Raid of May 1943.
Air Commodore John Emilius Fauquier, was a Canadian aviator and Second World War Bomber Command leader. He commanded No. 405 Squadron RCAF and later No. 617 Squadron RAF over the course of the war. A bush pilot prior to the war, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as a flight instructor in 1939. He then joined 405 Squadron in 1941 and would fly operationally for the rest of the war, taking a drop in rank on one occasion to return to active command. During his three tours of operation he participated in Operation Hydra and dozens of other sorties over Europe.
Nigger was a male black labrador retriever belonging to Wing Commander Guy Gibson of the Royal Air Force, and the mascot of No. 617 Squadron. Gibson owned the dog when he was previously a member of 106 Squadron. Nigger often accompanied Gibson on training flights and was a great favourite of the members of both 106 and 617 Squadrons. He was noted for his liking of beer, which he drank from his own bowl in the Officers' Mess.
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Squadron Leader George Leonard Johnson, better known as Johnny Johnson, was a British Royal Air Force officer who was the last surviving original member of No. 617 Squadron RAF and of Operation Chastise, the "Dambusters" raid of 1943.
Keith Ferris is an aviation artist whose work is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of the US Air Force and has been cited as the “Dean of American Aviation Art”. His work in aircraft camouflage has transformed the approach to painting US military aircraft.
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