"Adler Schwarm" - Jim Laurier - Bf-109 World War II Aviation Art

Artist Jim Laurier is a native of New England, growing up in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He has been drawing since he could hold a pencil and throughout his life he has worked in many mediums creating work on a variety of subjects over the years. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut from 1974-1978 and has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration since graduating with honors from that school.

Jim prefers to work in oils on linen or canvas, with realism in his paintings being the goal. A long time aviation enthusiast and pilot, one of his favorite subjects is aircraft. He combines his love of history with his flying experiences to create some of the most realistic and historically accurate aviation paintings seen today. He is widely known for his technical accuracy and attention to detail, which have become the trademarks of his work.

Jim's paintings have been displayed at various museums, air bases, and art shows since 1992 including one man shows at The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Savannah, Georgia (2000) and The Franco- American Society in Manchester, New Hampshire (2001). He has art work hanging in The Pentagon and other work on permanent display at Military bases and from the Eastern U.S. to Hawaii.

Jim has won awards at juried art shows including two Par Excellence Awards from the Experimental Aircraft Association, an award from the U.S. Naval Air Museum, The Hooper Award for Editorial Excellence, and an award from the Simulflite Training Center in Dallas, Texas. Jim has also become a prolific illustrator of military subjects and his work can be seen in many books, magazines, and calendars.

As he moves into the future, Jim will continue to paint and illustrate military subjects, but he will also complete new work in different areas such as maritime art, wildlife and landscapes, and other subjects of his personal interest. He believes it is important to explore other themes to grow and excel as an artist. The challenge for an artist should be to consistently strive to improve his or her work and to always seek new knowledge towards that end.

Jim Laurier Signed & Numbered Limited Edition Print "Adler Schwarm"

Early in the morning on May 12, 1944, Major Gunther Rall was awakened by the Division Commander. A large formation of American bombers and fighters was headed towards Germany to bomb six oil refineries in the area. Rall had just taken command of II/ JG11 barely a month earlier, when he left III/JG52 on the Eastern front.

Based at Hustedt airfield, located near the town of Celle, just north east of Hanover, II /JG11's primary task was to engage the American fighter escorts so that the more heavily armed Fw-190's could attack the bombers.

When the signal to scramble came, Rall led 25 Bf-109s from Hustedt and headed south west towards a formation of eight hundred B-17 and B-24 bombers, plus twelve hundred escorting fighters. Descending from 35,000 feet to 26,000 feet, Rall's group ran straight into a formation of P-47 Thunderbolts from the 56th Fighter Group. Major Rall quickly shot down two of the P-47's but lost his wingman in the process, the latter having an engine failure. After executing a split-S maneuver, Rall found himself boxed in by four P-47s from "Zemke's Wolfpack". He tried desperately to out-maneuver his opponents at treetop level, but his left thumb was shot off and his Messerschmitt was heavily damaged. With his aircraft on the verge of structural failure, Rall "bailed out" at low altitude and was rescued by farmers. When the bombing attack was over, the farmers arranged for an ambulance to take Major Rall to the hospital.

Günther Rall eventually recuperated and ended the war as Wing Commander of JG 300. His final victory tally was 275 confirmed aerial victories- the third highest in history.

This 18" by 27" overall size print, limited to 750, is signed by the artist and co-signed by Lt. Gen. Gunther Rall.

This print is also available in the following format:

25 Artist Proofs - $275.00

25 Remarques - $325.00

All Limited Edition prints are signed and numbered (S/N) by the artist. Limited Edition prints are restricted to a certain number. For example, if 400 prints are made from an original painting, once they’re gone, that’s it. There is no limit to the number of open edition prints of a particular painting. That’s why Limited Edition prints are more expensive — and more valuable to collectors — than "open" edition. Rare objects are more valuable.

An Artist’s Proof (AP), generally, is the first 10% of the Limited Edition prints that come off the press. If the Limited Edition is 400 s/n, there would be 40 APs. This status is noted on the print. Collectors prefer APs because their value increases even more than a Limited Edition as time goes by.

A remarque is a pencil drawing done in the white border area of an art print. The subject of the remarque can be decided by the print buyer or the artist. Each remarque is piece of original art which adds to the value of the print by making that particular print unique and exclusive from the rest of the prints in the edition.

All Limited Edition artwork is subject to availability at time of order. Although seller strives to remain currrent as to inventory, seller reserves the right to cancel a sale if item is no longer available at time of purchase.