A 1942 watercolour by Eric Ravilious depicting Supermarine Spitfires at an airfield in Hertfordshire, rendered with the artist's signature graphic precision.

Eric Ravilious produced this work in 1942 while serving as an official war artist. The scene depicts Supermarine Spitfires stationed at the airfield in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire. Ravilious applied his characteristic watercolour technique, using controlled washes and precise, rhythmic mark-making to capture the atmosphere of the airfield. The composition balances the mechanical forms of the aircraft with the flat, expansive terrain of the English countryside.

Unlike many war artists who focused on the drama of combat, Ravilious often turned his attention to the quiet, technical aspects of military life. The aircraft are rendered with a focus on their structural geometry, positioned against a sky filled with soft, layered clouds. The presence of a brick wall in the foreground provides a sense of scale and texture, grounding the scene in a specific, tangible location. His palette remains restrained, favouring cool greys, muted blues, and earthy tones that reflect the overcast conditions of the British climate.

This work demonstrates the artist's ability to translate industrial subjects into a graphic, decorative language. The repetition of the aircraft forms across the airfield creates a sense of order and stillness, contrasting with the inherent purpose of the machines. Ravilious disappeared while on a reconnaissance flight in Iceland later in 1942, making this one of his final contributions to the war effort. The print captures the technical precision and observational clarity that defined his career as a designer, illustrator, and painter.