Modern History - #7, #8, #9

Continuing on my series of oil paintings on significant events or people in modern history.

From the left, painting #7 shows China's Mao Zedong at Beijing in 1949 declaring the birth of the People Republic of China.

Painting #8 at the centre shows the contrasting figures of Earl Mountbatten representing the British crown and Mahatma Gandhi of India at their final talk in London on the forthcoming independence of India in 1947.

On the right, painting #9 shows a scene at the 1975 'Fall of Saigon'. This was the traumatic attempt of many S Vietnam elite to leave Saigon boarding an US helicopter on top of an US embassy building. It depicts the end of the long bloody US Vietnam War.

Modern History - #4, #5, #6

Continuing on my series of oil paintings on significant events or people in modern history.

From the left, painting #4 shows the second US atomic bombing of Japan, this one at Nagasaki. This resulted in Japan's surrender. At that time Italy and German had already surrendered. This event depicts the final end in 1945 of the 2nd World War.

Painting #5 at the centre shows Winston Churchill of the UK, Franklin Roosevelt of the US and Joseph Stalin of the USSR at their meeting at Yalta, Crimea, near but before the very end of the 2nd World War. These three together carved out the spheres of influence and control of the post-war world. They did it without the agreement of affected countries and territories, nor the need to inform them. This painting also depicts the start of the post-war Cold War.

On the right, painting #6 shows the United Nations Headquarters building at New York city, depicting the 1945 birth of the world body.

Modern History - #1, #2, #3

This is the first three of a series of my oil paintings on plastics board depicting significant events or personnel in modern world history during my life time. Each panel is of width 48 in. Click on the image to enlarge.

Painting #1 on the left shows Germany's Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in salute to depict the start of WW II in 1939.

At the centre, painting #2 shows the Blitz, a sustained German bombing of London to break the spirit of the English in 1940-41. This depicts te European theatre of WW II.

On the right, painting #3 shows the 1941 Japan sneak bombing of the navel vessels and facilities at Pearl Harbour at Hawaii causing the US to enter the War. This depicts the start of the Pacific theatre of WW II.