30th May, 2024 9:30
Fine Art & Antiques
Sir Oswald Birley (1880-1952), Portrait of Captain Ralph Kerr, CBE RN (1891-1941), in uniform wearing a duffle coat and holding binoculars, signed 'Oswald Birley 1943' (lower left), oil on canvas, 106 x 81 cm, framed 130 x 105 cm, labelled verso; together with handwritten correspondence from the artist to the sitter's widow dating from March 1943 to July 1944, discussing the photographs used, the composition and the clothes in the painting; and 'A History of the Family Kerr' by Russell J. Kerr, November, 1923, published for Private Circulation by John Bellows, Gloucester, 1923 (with handwritten annotations in black ink).
Retained in the family by descent.
Dawsons is proud to be taking to auction an esteemed collection of medals, featuring those awarded to Captain Ralph Kerr, who was in command of battlecruiser HMS Hood. The British battlecruiser was sunk after a ferocious and brief exchange of gunfire with German battleship Bismarck, with the loss of almost every member of its crew (including Captain Ralph Kerr) … Only 3 survived out of 1,418 souls.
Captain Ralph Kerr's legacy is indelibly linked to one of the most significant naval battles of World War II. The Battle of the Denmark Strait took place on 24th May 1941 – poignantly, almost 83 years to the day of the upcoming auction. The medals offered for sale, estimated between £3,000-£5,000, bear witness to his unwavering courage and service to the Royal Navy, his country, and his King.
Sold for £36,000
Condition Report
Painting is in good condition with no apparent damage or repair. Some wear to the frame, as shown.
Sir Oswald Birley (1880-1952), Portrait of Captain Ralph Kerr, CBE RN (1891-1941), in uniform wearing a duffle coat and holding binoculars, signed 'Oswald Birley 1943' (lower left), oil on canvas, 106 x 81 cm, framed 130 x 105 cm, labelled verso; together with handwritten correspondence from the artist to the sitter's widow dating from March 1943 to July 1944, discussing the photographs used, the composition and the clothes in the painting; and 'A History of the Family Kerr' by Russell J. Kerr, November, 1923, published for Private Circulation by John Bellows, Gloucester, 1923 (with handwritten annotations in black ink).
ProvenanceRetained in the family by descent.
The Ralph Kerr Collection
Dawsons is proud to be taking to auction an esteemed collection of medals, featuring those awarded to Captain Ralph Kerr, who was in command of battlecruiser HMS Hood. The British battlecruiser was sunk after a ferocious and brief exchange of gunfire with German battleship Bismarck, with the loss of almost every member of its crew (including Captain Ralph Kerr) … Only 3 survived out of 1,418 souls.
Captain Ralph Kerr's legacy is indelibly linked to one of the most significant naval battles of World War II. The Battle of the Denmark Strait took place on 24th May 1941 – poignantly, almost 83 years to the day of the upcoming auction. The medals offered for sale, estimated between £3,000-£5,000, bear witness to his unwavering courage and service to the Royal Navy, his country, and his King.
