Floating Crane Lightening a Ship

Aylward, William James · 1919

Charcoal and watercolor painting on paper board. The work depicts the American Base Port at Marseille, France. In the foreground is a small rowboat with three men in it. A man wearing a red shirt is rowing the boat, a man with a blue shirt is sitting in the center of the boat, and a man in a white shirt is standing next to a green box at the back of the boat. In the background of the painting is the floating crane, which is working on a large ship with multi-colored dazzle camouflage. The ship is only partially visible at the center of the painting and fades out at the sides. Signed at bottom right by the artist, "W.J. Aylward, A.E.F. '19"