© The artist
This work was based on the rocket thrust witnessed by the artist in 1972 at the launch of Apollo 17, the first night-time launch of a space mission.
The sight of such sublime beauty and power against the night sky inspired the luminous, almost incandescent colours and innovative five-part format. It was painted in Florida by Bell, a member of the St Ives School from the pioneering period of the mid 1950s, and is the culmination of a series of works.
Provenance
The artist.