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Nicholas
Trudgian luftwaffe art prints including Focke Wulf Fw190, Messerschmitt
Me110 and Heinkel 219. Aviation art by aviation
artist Nicholas Trudgian available from aviationprints.co.uk, subsidiary
of Cranston Fine Arts.
Having
graduated from art college, Nicolas Trudgian spent many years as a
professional illustrator before turning to a career in fine art painting.
His crisp style of realism, attention to detail, compositional skills and
bright use of colours, immediately found favour with collectors and demand
for his original work soared on both sides of the Atlantic. Today, more
than a decade after becoming a fine art painter, Nicolas Trudgian is
firmly established within a tiny, elite group of aviation artists whose
works are genuinely collected world-wide. When
he paints an aircraft you can be sure he has researched it in every detail
and when he puts it over a particular airfield, the chances are he has
paid it a recent visit. Even when he paints a sunset over a tropical
island, or mist hanging over a valley in China, most probably he has seen
it with his own eyes.
Nick was born and raised in the
seafaring city of Plymouth, the port from which the Pilgrim Fathers set
sail in 1620, and where Sir Francis Drake played bowls while awaiting the
Spanish Armada. Growing up in a house close to the railway station within
a busy military city, the harbour always teeming with naval vessels and
the skies above resonating with the sounds of naval aircraft, it was not
at all surprising the young Nick became fascinated with trains, boats and
aircraft. It was from his father, himself a talented
artist, that Nick acquired his love of drawing and surrounded by so much
that was inspiring, there was never a shortage of ideas for pictures. His
talent began to show at an early age and although he did well enough at
school, he always spent a disproportionate amount of time drawing. People
talked about him becoming a Naval officer or an architect but in 1975
Nick's mind was made up. When he told his careers teacher he wanted to go
to art school the man said, 'Now come on, what do you really want to
do?"
After leaving school Nick began a
one-year foundation course at the Plymouth College of Art. Now armed with
an impressive portfolio containing paintings of jet aircraft, trains, even
wildlife, he was immediately accepted at every college he applied to join.
He chose a course at the Falmouth College of Art in Cornwall specialising
in technical illustration and paintings of machines and vehicles for
industry. It was perfect for Nick, and he was to become one of the star
pupils. One of the lecturers commented at the time: "Every college
needs someone with a talent like Nick to raise the standards sky high; he
carried all the other students along with him, and created an effect which
will last for years to come." Two weeks after leaving art college
Nick blew every penny he had on a trip to South Africa to ride the great
steam trains across the desert, sketching them at every opportunity.
Returning to England, in best traditions of all young
artists, he struggled to make a living. Paintings by an unknown artist
didn't fetch much despite the painstaking effort and time Nick put into
each work, so when the college he had recently left offered him a job as a
lecturer, he jumped at the chance. The money was good and he discovered
that he really enjoyed teaching.
Throughout the 1970s Nick was much
involved with a railway preservation society near Plymouth and it was
through the railway society that he had his first pictures reproduced as
prints. But Nick felt he needed to advance his career and in summer 1985
Nick moved away from Cornwall to join an energetic new design studio in
Wiltshire. Here he painted detailed artwork for many major companies
including Rolls Royce, General Motors, Volvo Trucks, Alfa Romeo and, to
his delight, the aviation and defence industries. He remembers the job as
exciting though stressful, often requiring him to work right through the
night to meet a client's deadline. Here he learned to be disciplined and
fast.Towards the end of the 1980's Nick had the chance to work for the
Military Gallery. This was the break that for years he had been striving
towards and with typical enthusiasm, flung himself into his new role.
After completing a series of aviation posters, including a gigantic
painting to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Royal Air
Force, Nick's first aviation scene to be published as a limited edition
was launched by the Military Gallery in 1991. Despite the fact he was
unknown in the field, it was an immediate success.
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 | Stormclouds Gather by Nicolas Trudgian | 3 editions available from £145.00 |  | Hurricane Country by Nicolas Trudgian. | 5 editions available from £165.00 |  | Fighter Legend - Adolf Galland by Nicolas Trudgian. | 2 editions available from £115.00 |  | Ice Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. | 5 editions available from £160.00 |  | Snow Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. | 3 editions available from £75.00 |  | Knights of the Sky by Nicolas Trudgian | 3 editions available from £175.00 |  | Into The Cloak of Darkness by Nicolas Trudgian | 5 editions available from £145.00 |  | Richthofens Flying Circus by Nicolas Trudgian. | 3 editions available from £115.00 |  | Night Hunters of the Reich by Nicolas Trudgian. | 4 editions available from £125.00 |  | Timber Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian. | 2 editions available from £110.00 |  | One - Tens Over Kent by Nicolas Trudgian | 3 editions available from £160.00 |  | Three Hundred Club by Nicolas Trudgian (FLY) | 1 editions available from £1.50 |  | Head to Head by Nicolas Trudgian | 2 editions available from £215.00 |  | Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian. | 4 editions available from £160.00 |  | Dragons of Colombert by Nicolas Trudgian | 3 editions available from £140.00 |  | Sea Wolves by Nicolas Trudgian. (GS) | 2 editions available from £365.00 |  | First of the Jets by Nicolas Trudgian. | 3 editions available from £28.56 |  | Jet Strike by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) | 2 editions available from £340.00 |  | Battle of Kursk by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) | £430.00 |  | Storm Chasers by Nicolas Trudgian. | 5 editions available from £170.00 |  | Combat Over Beachy Head by Nicolas Trudgian. | 5 editions available from £85.00 |  | Green Heart Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) | £380.00 |  | Rocket Attack by Nicolas Trudgian. | 4 editions available from £95.00 |  | Alpine Scramble by Nicolas Trudgian. | 10 editions available from £75.00 |  | Return of the Hunters by Nicolas Trudgian. | 2 editions available from £300.00 |  | In Defense of the Reich by Nicolas Trudgian. (AP) | 4 editions available from £ |  | Spitfire Country by Nicolas Trudgian. (AP) | 1 editions available from £ |  | Clash Over Remagen by Nicolas Trudgian. | 4 editions available from £160.00 |  | Messerschmitt Country by Nicolas Trudgian (AP) | 6 editions available from £ |  | Holding the Line - The Battle of Britain by Nicolas Trudgian. | 4 editions available from £150.00 |  | End Game by Nicolas Trudgian. (Y) | 4 editions available from £115.00 |  | Operation Mercury by Nicolas Trudgian. | 3 editions available from £100.00 |  | Jet Interceptor by Nicolas Trudgian | 3 editions available from £200.00 |  | Twilight Conquest by Nicolas Trudgian. | 4 editions available from £150.00 |  | Desert Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. | 3 editions available from £190.00 |  | Black Devil by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) | £420.00 |  | Mountain Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian | 3 editions available from £110.00 |  | Winter Combat by Nicolas Trudgian. | 3 editions available from £200.00 |  | Desert Sharks and Eagles by Nicolas Trudgian. | 5 editions available from £160.00 |  | Day of the Fighters by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) | 1 editions available from £300.00 |  | First Strike on Berlin by Nicolas Trudgian. | 4 editions available from £160.00 |  | Moonlight Hunter by Nicolas Trudgian. | 4 editions available from £100.00 |  | The Last Offensive by Nicolas Trudgian. | SOLD OUT / SOLD |  | Winter Wolves by Nicolas Trudgian. (AP) | 3 editions available from £ |  | Victory Over the Rhine by Nicolas Trudgian. | 6 editions available from £160.00 |  | First Flap of the Day by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) | 3 editions available from £125.00 |  | High Summer High Battle by Nicolas Trudgian. | 4 editions available from £120.00 |  | Checkertail Clan by Nicolas Trudgian | 4 editions available from £155.00 |  | Hot Pursuit by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) | £360.00 |  | Eagle Attack by Nicolas Trudgian | 2 editions available from £60.00 |  | Alpine Thunder by Nicolas Trudgian. | 5 editions available from £180.00 |
| Mountain Wolf by Nicholas Trudgian
Focke-Wulf "Red Three" prepares to scramble from the Alpine
region airfield at Ainring, 1945
With the inexorable advance
of the Allied forces through Germany, many of the fighter units moved into
Alpine regions in their effort to stay operational. Among the most feared
of the Luftwaffe's remaining combat units were those equipped with the
remarkable Me262 fighter jet. With their huge speed advantage, the 262s
were a difficult target in aerial combat even for the fastest Allied
fighters, but the German jets were especially vulnerable to attack during
take-off and landing. The American long range fighter pilots were quick to
spot this weakness, and scored many successes by catching the jet pilots
as they returned low on fuel and ammunition. Commanding JV-44, General Adolf Galland countered the
threat by employing the Fw190 "Dora" 9s to fly top cover, their
task being to sweep the sky as the jets returned from combat. Nicholas
Trudgian's new painting Mountain Wolf depicts the colourful Fw190 of Hptm
Waldermar Wubke of JV-44 as he prepares to scramble "Red Three"
at Ainring airfield in May 1945. The brightly coloured paint schemes
brought about the staffel's radio call sign Papagei, the German for
Parrot! Set in a spectacular mountain scene, Nicholas
Trudgian's latest print records the last days of air combat as WWII drew
to a close. Authenticated with the signatures of two Fw190 pilots, both
Knight's Cross holders, Mountain Wolf makes a valuable pint which will
enhance the serious collector's portfolio. |
| Into The Cloak of Darkness by Nicholas Trudgian
The eerie world of the night-fighter was a far
cry from the swashbuckling cut and thrust of the day-time aerial
dogfights. It took inordinate flying skills, teamwork, patience, and
nerves of steel to achieve success in the dark when all that could be seen
of the enemy was the tell-tale glow of an engine exhaust.
From the spring of 1940 Germany had developed their night-fighting
aircraft and honed their skills to combat the nightly bombing raids of the
RAF. By 1944 the Luftwaffe had sophisticated electronic range-finding and
navigation equipment fitted to their night-fighters, and their skilled
crews had become adept at intercepting the British heavy bombers under
cover of darkness.
As the war progressed and proficiency increased, the greatest fear of
the RAF bomber crews as they approached their targets was the ever-present
danger of the marauding Luftwaffe night-fighters. Each night a deadly game
of hide-and-seek was played out in the skies above the Reich.
Messerschmitt 110s, JU-88s, and the specifically developed Heinkel 219
would rise up into the darkening skies from bases in the Rühr to await
the arrival of the RAF heavies. Loitering singly and in pairs, they would
infiltrate the bomber streams, each crew using their own individual method
of hunting and attack. They seldom came home empty handed.
Based in the Rühr Valley in 1944, NJG-1 was among the most successful
night-fighter units, being credited with 2173 night victories and another
145 scored in daylight. Nicolas Trudgian's emotive new painting recreates
a scene from one of this successful unit's missions on the night of
November 2, 1944:
Ten aircraft took off to intercept a major raid on
Dusseldorf, the
night witnessing a fierce battle high above the darkened city. NGJ-1 crews
assisted with the downing of 19 RAF bombers, one Luftwaffe pilot being
credited with no fewer than 6 victories that night. Seen in Nick's
painting are a Heinkel 219 and a Messerschmitt 110 climbing out from their
base at Münster Handorf, as they set out on their deadly mission. Below
them the spectacular Rühr Valley is vibrant in its mantle of winter's
first snowfall. A moving and evocative rendition, made all the more
poignant by the signatures of 3 leading World War II Luftwaffe
night-fighter aircrew on each print in the edition.
Messerschmitt Country by Nicolas Trudgian
Nobody, least of all Allied aircrew, ever doubted the tenacity of the
Luftwaffe, more particularly that of the German fighter
pilots. From the early encounters during the Battle of Britain to
the great air battles in defence of their homeland late in the war, at all
times they were held in high regard, even if resented as a foe. At
no time was their dedication, determination, and courage better
demonstrated than during the final stages of World War Two. By the
summer of 1944 the Allies had gained a foothold in Normandy, and total air
superiority above Northern France. German installations and ground
positions were being pounded daily from the air, and the Ruhr, the
heartland of industrial Germany, was under constant siege. Even the
factories in southern Germany were not safe from the attentions of the
USAAF bombers by day, and the RAF by night. But in spite of the
pressures of mounting losses and diminished supplies, the Luftwaffe fought
doggedly on in best traditions of the fighter pilot. The morning of
19 July 1944 saw the USAAF's 8th and 15th Air Forces mount an attack of
awesome proportion against the aircraft factories in the region of
Munich. To combat a seemingly overwhelming force of 1400 bombers and
almost as many fighter escorts, the Luftwaffe were able to put up just
three Gruppen from JG300 and one from JG302, flying a mix of Me109G's and
Fw190's - barely 50 serviceable fighters between them. They were
joined by a dozen Me109's of II./JG27, these fighters desperately trying
to defend the very factories in which they were made. |
| Although the true qualities of a fighter pilot
cannot be measured simply by tallying his number of air victories - some
of the greatest fighter leaders do not feature in the top score sheets -
there can be no question that any fighter pilot whose victory tally is
counted in 100's has got to be exceptional. That two of them
achieved more than 300 air-to-air victories is pure phenomena. In
paying tribute to Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn, the only two
fighter pilots ever to top the 300 victory mark, Nicolas Trudgian has
painted a gripping combat scene being played out in the typically harsh
environment where these two remarkable fighter aces achieved
immortality. Both "300 Club" members flew the majority of
their combat missions with JG-52, the most successful fighter wing of
WWII, where, on the Eastern Front they encountered and conquered every
type of fighter including British built Spitfires and Hurricanes, the
American Aircobra, and all the best Russian built fighters, including the
Yak-9. |
| SHOWCASE PRODUCT | |
| ARTIST | Featured Artist - Ivan Berryman
Ivan Berryman - Battle of Britain Art
Artist Ivan Berryman has been producing many pencil drawings depicting scenes from the Battle of Britain. Each of these is signed by one of the pilots who was actually present at the battle, and is often inspired by the events they took part in themselves. Special signed print editions have also been created from existing full colour print editions, with some featuring multiple pilot signatures. You can find all of Ivan's Battle of Britain artwork on his website - www.ivanberryman.com, or see a full list of pencil drawings - updated regularly, in our dedicated section of pencil drawings.
When you go to a product page for an item in our shop, click on the names of the pilots where they are linked in the text for an item to see a profile page for that pilot. Often we include photos of signing sessions along with details of their flying career, and a full list of all items signed by the pilot. |
| | Pilot Signed Battle of Britain Prints and Original Pencil Drawings |
Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain
We are busy building up a portfolio of many many original pencil drawings which depict events from the Battle of Britain, the famous air battle won by 'the Few' in the summer of 1940. The British and Commonwealth pilots defended the air above Britain and the surrounding seaways from the might of the German Luftwaffe. Greatly outnumbered, the bravery of these young pilots saved the country from invasion, and let Britain survive to go on to defeat Germany. Without that first crucial victory, the outcome of the war could have been so very different. We have been busy arranging signing sessions with the few pilots who fought in that great battle who remain with us to this day. Our newly commissioned pencil drawings are often based on the descriptions of the battle by these great men, and are authenticated by their signatures. We have also had several editions of existing prints signed in full, or have signatures added to parts of existing editions. We have also incoporated signatures of some of the German pilots who also took part in the battle, some of whom went on to become top scoring aces of the war. See our Original Pencil Drawings Section - particularly the section of artists David Pentland and Ivan Berryman. Also, see our New Signature Editions section to see all of our newly signed editions.
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See more about Phantom Fury by Robert Taylor at Robert Taylor Prints.com
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Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE
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