WORLD WAR II IWO JIMA OVERSIZED PAINTING, oil on canvas, depicting the Marines at the Battle of Iwo Jima raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi. No signature located. Unframed. Accompanied by a photograph (c. 1975) of the consignor with the painting. Mid 20th century. 8' x 5' object.

Provenance: Property of a Rockbridge Co., VA private collector.

Catalogue Note: Of monumental size, this dramatic work, done in the style of an illustration artist, is based on the iconic photograph of the Marines on Mount Suribachi taken by Joe Rosenthal in February of 1945 and the subsequent illustration executed by Cecil Calvert Beall (1892-1967) for a War Bond sales poster. This particular painting is thought to have been used in a War Bond office in New Orleans and then moved into storage some time after the war. The painting was discovered in storage around 1970 at which time the consignor, himself a Marine Corp officer, acquired the piece and began displaying it in the New Orleans Marine recruiting office he oversaw. Upon retirement, the consignor brought the work with him to the Shenandoah Valley and has since displayed it proudly in his spacious 19th-century home.

Large repair with associated inpainting at center right edge. Other areas of inpainting including portion of flag.