SOLD Etrich Type 4 Monoplane by Norman Wilkinson

A watercolour and gouache on board illustration of a yellow German Etrich monoplane visiting Eastchurch in 1912.

SOLD

The plane is shown in the middle of the day with its shadow on the ground below. Some aircraft sheds are shown to the right of the picture to the middle, with two planes in front of them. The painting is signed in white 'Norman Wilkinson' below the sheds.

The back of the illustration has a paper label giving the details of 'Isle of Sheppey, German Aeroplane, Etrich Type 4, Visitor To Eastchurch. Mr McCleans Shed. Royal Aero Club, Page 14' with a large T and the date 1912. Written in pencil to the board is 'Eastchurch. German AIC - 1912 NW'. It's possible that this picture was made for The Royal Aero Club's weekly Flight magazine.

The more famous birdlike Etrich Taube plane is shown in the background outside McLean's sheds. The Royal Navy Air Service are known to have had at least one Taube in 1912. Eastchurch and the Isle of Sheppey were important in the early history of British flight. The Short Brothers had workshops on Sheppey, the Royal Aero Club's headquarters were at Muswell Manor, Leysdown with many members owning sheds close by for their planes and Eastchurch became the centre for Naval flying. Frank McClean was an early pioneer of flight and famous for flying his Short S.33 float plane through Tower Bridge and under all the subsequent bridges on his way to Westminster on 10 August 1912.

The colouring of the Etrich plane is dramatic against the muted natural colours of the sparse sky and ground with the white sheds offering a little detail to help size and position it in the air. Dated 1912.