Donegal by Thomas Burke

The artist Thomas Burke was originally from Liverpool. He enrolled at Liverpool Art College and studied painting at the Royal College of Art.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War Burke joined the Merchant Navy as a volunteer in 1940/41. In May 1941 during the Battle of Crete, German forces launched an attack which led to the capture of Merchant Navy personnel who were detained as prisoners of war (POW) in the Milag Nord prison camp. Thomas spent the rest of the War as a POW but continued to paint throughout the war. Thomas returned to the UK in May 1945 but died shortly after on 15th July 1945.

This artwork of Donegal was painted by Thomas in the 1930s before the outbreak of WWII.

Image: © Parliamentary Art Collection, WOA 3594