Bidding opens for Terra Nova painting
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An early bid of £750 by email following early promotion was topped by a postal bid of £815 on 2 July for a painting commissioned from polar artist Mike Skidmore by the Trustees of British Antarctic Monument Trust. The oil painting of SS Terra Nova marks the Centenary of the death of Scott, Wilson, Oates, Bowyers and Evans on their return from the South Pole in 1912 and it also recognizes those men and women from BAS* and FIDS* who gave their lives in pursuit of science in Antarctica.
The painting portrays the SS Terra Nova setting sail from Cape Evans on 22 January 1913 after she had relieved the party at the end of the expedition. After leaving Cape Evans she took on collections and specimens from Cape Royds and Granite Harbour before visiting Evans Coves where the Northern Party had overwintered. SS Terra Nova left those “inhospitable shores” on 26 January for New Zealand bringing the news of Scott’s death with her.
The artist, Mike Skidmore, who wintered at Halley Bay 1967-69 is well known for his Antarctic paintings has donated this superb work to the Trust. Mike says his title, “Never to Return”, reflects that those on board never went back to Antarctica and those who perished rest there. This link between the United Kingdom and Antarctica is expressed in the Antarctic Monument, the Northern part of which was unveiled outside the Scott Polar Research Institute in May 2011 and the Southern part is to be sited in the Falkland Islands – gateway to Antarctica. Money raised from the auction will go towards creating the Southern sculpture.
You can bid by email giving your name, address and your bid and bid limit or by filling in this Silent Auction Form and return it. Should someone outbid your first bid we will increase your bid by £10 above your opponent’s until your bid limit is reached. Emails should be sent to the Chairman Rod Rhys Jones rod@rhysjones.com. Bids will be accepted up until 9.00pm when bids will be reviewed at the Annual Dinner of the BAS Club at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge on Saturday 7 July 2012. Those at dinner can put their bids in a box provided. The highest bid will be marked up on a board during the evening. The winner will be announced by the end of the evening.