Waving Goodbye and Good Luck
Artist
Barse Miller
(1904 - 1973)
Date1942
MediumWatercolor on paper
Dimensions15 x 22 in. (38.1 x 55.9 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift of The Hilbert Collection
Object number2020.064
DescriptionBarse Miller was heralded as one of the masters of the 1930s California Style watercolor movement. In 1942 he enlisted in the Army and, with recognition of his outstanding skills in the watercolor medium, was immediately assigned the rank of Captain, Chief of Combat Art Section, Pacific Region. He served in this capacity by documenting what he witnessed in watercolor during his assignments in China, New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan. Henry Kaiser’s shipyards were capable of building one of these Liberty Ships in 30 days and, when under full production, deliver one ship a day. There is a note of poignancy here that only two sailors are waving to the entire shipload of soldiers steaming off to the Pacific theatre of war. The departing GIs create a green “uniform”-colored line along the length of the vessel, cheering and waving their goodbyes, underlining the everyday nature of this event.-Glen Knowles
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