PICTURE SAVED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 September 1940, Page 2

PICTURE SAVED

IN FACE OF AIR BOMBING. ARTIST’S ESCAPE FROM BOULOGNE. One of the paintings on view at the exhibition of war artists, which opened at the National Gallery had been saved from Boulogne under heavy machine-gun and bombing attacks. The artist, Mr Barnet Freedman, was given orders to embark during the evacuation from Boulogne. His kit. containing eight works, was placed in a ship. But Mr Freedman determined tc rescue his last picture “Aircraft Ruh in Construction at Arras," which was in his hotel. Disobeying orders, ho dashed down the runway and through the streets which were filled with refugees. Airplanes were machine-gunning and bombing; the whole time. When he reached the hotel. Mr Freedman found that everybody had been evacuated —“but 1 got my picture.” He ran back to the harbour. His ship had left with his kit aboard. While waiting for another vessel he helped to unload an ammunition ship. For a month the Wai- Office attempted to trace Mr Freedman's kit. Eventually it was found in a garrison town and" although paint, some valuable paint brushes and instruments were missing, his other eight paintings were safe. They, too, now hang in the National Gallery.