There is indeed something special about the work of Eric Ravilious - those that discover his work are seduced by it, and feel they have privileged knowledge of this singular painter. He has a devoted following among those who know him, but still merits wider recognition. The recent 2022 release of Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War, directed by Margy Kinmonth and featuring the likes of Ai Wei Wei, Grayson Perry, Alan Bennet and Robert Macfarlane in praise of this remarkable artist, will deservedly advance his reputation. Serving as an Official War Artist, Ravilious’ life was cut tragically short when, on 2 September 1942, aged 39, he was killed when his plane crashed in Icelandic waters.

The paintings Ravilious made as an Official War Artist are among the finest works produced from the scheme - captivating from both a historical and pictorial perspective. They built on the work Ravilious had developed and honed in the 1920s and 30s, offering distinct visions of the English countryside that placed him in a fine tradition of British watercolourists, from John Sell Cotman to Paul Nash. Ravilious had been taught by Nash (who made his name as an Official War Artist in World War I) when he joined the Royal College of Art in Ravilious’ final year there, 1925-6.

Pilot Boat is a wonderful re-discovery emerging from a long held private family collects ion, and is making its first public appearance since Ravilious’ landmark exhibition at Arthur Tooth & Sons in London, 1939. It was an exhibition lauded by critics and collects ors. Pilot Boat exemplifies why; and the emergence of works of its quality at auction are rare occasions.

Pilot Boat depicts the port of Le Havre in Normandy, where Ravilious had travelled in March and April 1939 ahead of his show in May at Arthur Tooth & Sons, London, which was to be his final before the outbreak of the Second World War. Already the threat of war loomed while working there, Ravilious reporting, ‘a gendarme questioned me closely…but retired beaten by my Pigeon French’ (quoted in James Russell, Ravilious in Pictures, A Travelling Artist, 2012, p.44).

The weather had been bitterly cold for Ravilious - who always began his work outdoors sketching, usually commencing at first light - meaning he could only stay outside for short periods. The light is low in the present work, long shadows cast, nearly bleaching the colours of the town buildings. A sense of the grassy green water is evoked and the boat - indeed splendid - dominates the composition. Its curvaceous forms and vertical masts are a counterpoint to the otherwise straight, receding lines of the port. There are hints of life in sketched figures on the left hand side while on the right, an advertisement on a building reads ‘Claquesin’, a popular French aperitif.

The brushwork and perspective in Pilot Boat convey a wonderful sense of movement, demonstrating Ravilious' masterly watercolour technique and his eye for elevating the ordinary. He had an exceptional ability to instill seemingly everyday scenes and objects with a sense of mystery. While he never officially ascribed to Surrealism, there is a surreal quality to many of his works, recalling in part the work of Paul Nash.

As it is, the painting also stands as a historical record of the old port of Le Havre. A year later it was occupied by German forces and eventually mostly reduced to rubble by Allied forces. There is an added sense of poignancy in the knowledge that War would indeed be unleashed shortly after this painting. He wrote at the t.mes , ‘I shall be surprised if there isn’t a war by the middle of May and drawing and all other sensible things fade into the background…’ (quoted in James Russell, Ravilious in Pictures, A Travelling Artist, 2012, p.44). Three years later, the War would lead Ravilious to his death; yet we are fortunate for the extraordinary body of work he produced, of which Pilot Boat is another exquisite reminder.