Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/richard-eurich-1071" aria-label="More by Richard Eurich" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Richard Eurich</a>
Night Raid on Portsmouth Docks
Presented by the War Artists Advisory Committee 1946
air raid
architecture
boat - non-specific
buoy
dock
dockyard
emotions, concepts and ideas
England
England, South East
England, Southern
fire
fireman
Hampshire
heating and lighting
history
industrial
light, searchlight
military: World War II
natural phenomena
night
objects
places
Portsmouth
public service
ship, warship
society
sublime
times of the day
townscape
townscapes / man-made features
transport: water
UK cities, towns and villages
UK counties
UK countries and regions
universal concepts
warehouse
weapon, firing / explosion
weapons
work and occupations
<p>The naval dockyard at Portsmouth was heavily bombed during the Second World War along with many other strategically important ports and industrial cities. The Ministry of Information sent artists across the country to record such attacks. In Portsmouth, Eurich made the drawings for this work ‘the day after the heavy bombing partly due to the presence of two battleships in the harbour’. At the centre of Eurich’s composition is a vessel from an earlier conflict: HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Its presence in the composition recalls a glorious naval history amid the chaos and destruction of the Blitz.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2016</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
20 March 2004 – 28 May 2004
2004-05-28
20 March 2004 – 28 May 2004
2004-05-28
2004-03-20
St Barbe Museum (Lymington, UK)
http://www.stbarbe-museum.org.uk/
2004-03-20
Richard Eurich
Loan-out
13 May 2013 – 7 April 2019
2019-04-07
13 May 2013 – 7 April 2019
2019-04-07
2013-05-13
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2013-05-13
Gallery 31
Collection based display
12 December 2016 – 30 September 2017
2017-09-30
12 December 2016 – 30 September 2017
2017-09-30
2016-12-12
Portsmouth Museum (Portsmouth, UK)
2016-12-12
The Blitz in Portsmouth
Loan-out
Night Raid on Portsmouth Docks
support: 787 × 1270 mm
frame: 972 × 1480 × 80 mm
Presented by the War Artists Advisory Committee 1946
<div class="text">
<p>The naval dockyard at Portsmouth was heavily bombed during the Second World War along with many other strategically important ports and industrial cities. The Ministry of Information sent artists across the country to record such attacks. In Portsmouth, Eurich made the drawings for this work ‘the day after the heavy bombing partly due to the presence of two battleships in the harbour’. At the centre of Eurich’s composition is a vessel from an earlier conflict: HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Its presence in the composition recalls a glorious naval history amid the chaos and destruction of the Blitz.</p>
</div>

Display caption
2016-09-06T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N05690</b> NIGHT RAID ON PORTSMOUTH DOCKS 1941 1941–2
<br/> 
<br/>Inscr. ‘R. Eurich. 1942.’ b.r.
<br/>Canvas, 31×50 (79×127).
<br/>Presented by the War Artists' Advisory Committee 1946.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> R.A., 1944 (710), as ‘Night Raid 1941’; <i>National War Pictures</i>, National Gallery, 1944; <i>Spring Exhibition</i>, Bradford, March–June 1945 (225); <i>National War Pictures</i>, R.A., October–November 1945 (325).</p>
<p>The artist wrote (8 September 1956): ‘Painted not long after I became full time painter to the Admiralty. The <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawings</span></a> for this were made on the day after the heavy bombing partly due to the presence of two battleships in the harbour. The topography is pretty accurate though telescoped a bit in places. It was done from the signal tower, which explains the elevation. H.M.S. <i>Victory</i> can be seen over the roof tops.’</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, I</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-08T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
air raid architecture boat - non-specific buoy dock dockyard emotions, concepts and ideas England England, South East England, Southern fire fireman Hampshire heating and lighting history industrial light, searchlight military: World War II natural phenomena night objects places Portsmouth public service ship, warship society sublime times of the day townscape townscapes / man-made features transport: water UK cities, towns and villages UK counties UK countries and regions universal concepts warehouse weapon, firing / explosion weapons work and occupations