Winter's Welcome by Robert Taylor

For those on the ground there were few sights more stirring than a B-17 Fortress on its final approach from a combat mission, and Robert Taylor’s outstanding painting Winter’s Welcome is no exception. This now legendary image brilliantly conjures up those exhilarating final moments as an exhausted pilot and his crew bring their mighty warbird safely home to the welcoming winter countryside of East Anglia.

It has been another tough and arduous mission and damage is clearly visible, but with engines throttled back, and wheels and flaps down, the tired captain coaxes his aircraft gently down the glide path towards touchdown. On the ground below a pair of startled pheasants take to the air as the mighty machine thunders overhead, and local farm workers gaze up in respect and wonder.

And now, thanks to the amazing high-definition Giclée process, this enduring and much loved image has been carefully brought to life again with the release of these Studio Proofs. The delicate touches and complex hues of Robert Taylor’s painting are reproduced with unparalleled sophistication and accuracy, revealing a tangible reality that was previously almost impossible to capture. And just to prove how good they are, each individual Studio Proof is released only after Robert Taylor has personally approved the quality, and authorized it by hand-signing every piece.