WELLINGTON - Original Oil on Canvas

A substantial original oil painting by Robert Taylor, depicting Vickers Wellingtons of No. 425 Squadron RCAF flying in formation above an expansive cloudscape during bomber operations over Germany in 1943.

Originally published as the limited-edition print Wellington in 1980, the painting is an outstanding early example of the qualities that would come to define Robert’s aviation work: carefully observed aircraft set within a vast, atmospheric sky, where light, cloud and landscape are given almost as much importance as the machines themselves.

The Wellington was one of the mainstays of RAF Bomber Command during the first half of the Second World War. Designed around Barnes Wallis’s distinctive geodetic construction, its strength and ability to withstand severe battle damage became legendary amongst its crews.

Of particular significance, the original canvas itself has been personally signed by Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Harris, Commander-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command from 1942 until the end of the war. Harris’s signature appears directly on the painted surface alongside Robert’s, creating an exceptional connection between the artist, the aircraft depicted and the man who commanded the bomber offensive in which Wellingtons played such an important role.

For collectors of Robert Taylor, the combination is particularly compelling: a large original oil from the formative period of his career, the source artwork for an established published edition, and personally signed on the canvas by Sir Arthur Harris. At £12,950, it represents a comparatively accessible opportunity to acquire a significant early Taylor original with unusually strong Bomber Command provenance.

Original oil on canvas. 41" x 29".

✍️ Personally signed on the canvas by Marshal of the RAF Sir Arthur T. Harris BT, GCB OBE DD