Watercolour and graphite on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/eric-ravilious-1817" aria-label="More by Eric Ravilious" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Eric Ravilious</a>
Midnight Sun
Presented by the War Artists Advisory Committee 1946
depth charge
history
life belt
military: World War II
miscellaneous
natural phenomena
Norwegian Campaign, 1940
objects
sea
seascapes and coasts
shadow
ship, warship
society
sunset
times of the day
transport: water
weapons
<p>Ravilious studied at the Royal College of Art, where he was taught by Paul Nash and became close friends with Edward Bawden. He went on to produce designs for Wedgwood and Stuart Crystal and advertisements for London Transport.</p><p>Ravilious was attached to the Admiralty with the honorary rank of Captain, Royal Marines from February 1940. Submarines in Dry Dock was probably painted at Chatham or Sheerness where he spent much of the first two months of his service as a war artist. Midnight Sun was painted shortly after, on a trip to Norway in a destroyer.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
paper unique watercolour graphite
23 October 2003 – 25 January 2004
2004-01-25
23 October 2003 – 25 January 2004
2004-01-25
2003-10-23
Imperial War Museum (London, UK)
http://www.iwm.org.uk/
2003-10-23
Eric Ravilious: Imagined Realities
Loan-out
19 May 2014 – 10 August 2014
2014-08-10
19 May 2014 – 10 August 2014
2014-08-10
2014-05-19
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2014-05-19
Kenneth Clark
Exhibition
1 April 2015 – 31 August 2015
2015-08-31
1 April 2015 – 31 August 2015
2015-08-31
2015-04-01
Dulwich Picture Gallery (London, UK)
2015-04-01
Eric Ravilious
Loan-out
29 April 2022 – 25 September 2022
2022-09-25
29 April 2022 – 25 September 2022
2022-09-25
2022-04-29
Hastings Contemporary (Hastings, UK)
2022-04-29
Seafaring
Loan-out
Midnight Sun
support: 470 × 591 mm
Presented by the War Artists Advisory Committee 1946
<div class="para10">
<span class="text14">Ravilious studied at the Royal College of Art, </span><span class="text12">where he was taught by Paul Nash and </span><span class="text14">became close friends with Edward Bawden. </span><span class="text16">He went on to produce designs for Wedgwood</span><span class="text14"> </span><span class="text15">and Stuart Crystal and advertisements      for</span><span class="text14"> London Transport. </span>
</div>
<div class="para9">
<span class="text14">
<br/> </span>
</div>
<div class="para10">
<span class="text14">Ravilious was attached to the Admiralty with the      honorary rank of Captain, Royal Marines </span><span class="text12">from      February 1940. Submarines in Dry  Dock was probably painted at Chatham </span><span class="text14">
or Sheerness where he spent much of the  first two months      of his service as a <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/war-artists" title="Glossary definition for 'War Artists'"><span>war artist</span></a>. </span><span class="text12">Midnight Sun      was painted shortly after, </span><span class="text14">
on a trip to Norway      in a destroyer.   </span>
</div>

Display caption
2004-09-09T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N05723</b> MIDNIGHT SUN 1940</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inscr. ‘Eric Ravilious June 1940’ b.l.
<br/>Watercolour, 18 1/2×23 1/4 (47×59).
<br/>Presented by the War Artists' Advisory Committee 1946.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> <i>National War Pictures</i>, National Gallery, 1940, and provincial tour, 1941 (no catalogue); <i>National War Pictures</i>, R.A., October–November 1945 (589), and Glasgow, 1945; Eastbourne and Brighton, 1948 (37); Sheffield, February–March 1958 (14).
<br/><i>Repr:</i>
V. &amp; A., <i>Twentieth Century British Water-Colours</i>, 1958, pl.37.</p>
<p>This picture was painted in June 1940 on the second of two trips in a destroyer which Ravilious made to Norway. The Imperial War Museum possesses a <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/watercolour" title="Glossary definition for 'Watercolour'"><span>watercolour</span></a> ‘H.M.S. <i>Glorious</i> in the Arctic’ and two watercolours entitled ‘H.M.S. <i>Ark Royal</i> in action’. The <i>Ark Royal</i> watercolours are each dated 9 June 1940. It is not clear which aircraft-carrier is shown in ‘Midnight Sun’, but it is a reasonable assumption that it is either H.M.S. <i>Glorius</i> or H.M.S. <i>Ark Royal</i>; the date makes the latter more likely.</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, II
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-08T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
depth charge history life belt military: World War II miscellaneous natural phenomena Norwegian Campaign, 1940 objects sea seascapes and coasts shadow ship, warship society sunset times of the day transport: water weapons