Wings by Raymond McGrath, watercolour and ink on canvas board

This is one of 16 watercolours made by Australian modernist architect Raymond McGrath for his Official War Artist commission with the Ministry of Information.

An established architectural author, McGrath initially proposed to work on an illustrated book of aircraft under construction, but this was too costly to produce. Instead, he made a series of watercolour drawings in different factories, including the Phillips & Powis Aircraft Company, Reading – the subject of this work. McGrath described this scene as the production of aircraft wings ‘ready for fixing and the starboard wing of a “Miles Master 1” passing down an assembly line’. The Air Ministry however shortened the title. From the Air Ministry allocation of works from the War Artists' Advisory Committee, 1947. Original accession number LD64. On loan from the RAF Air Historical Branch (MOD). Artist copyright: Crown (expired). Image copyright: RAF Museum.