Gouache of Alberto Ascari Ferrari 500 British GP 1953.
Maybe we’ve done this backwards. Not the first time and we try to avoid it. But in the past months, Rodney and the editor have revealed to the readers a life of excitement, danger and art. We said he was an artist who worked for Classic and Thoroughbred Cars magazine, and we told of how the magazine was founded by Lionel Burrell and edited by Michael Bowler.
We asked Rodney to talk about his wartime experiences as a child, being posted out to the countryside to avoid Nazi bombing raids and had him create an original work of art to illustrate the article.
We wanted to know how he was trained and in what mediums, and he showed us how an artist develops his skill and was given interesting assignments from the government.
Then he described his days the racetrack in Minis and Fords, gaining inspiration to create more motoring art.
But somewhere along the line perhaps we forgot to show much of the art. Readers went blissfully forward, wondering perhaps what all the fuss was about.
So below, is Rodney Diggens’ Gallery. About time.
Action
‘Coupe des Alpes’ 1961: This painting, as you know, shows the Morley twins in the Austin-Healey 3000 winning the only Coupe des Alpes of 1961. And this was the first time a British team driving a British car had headed an Alpine General Classification.
Hornet: De Havilland DH103. Date painted: 1960s, oil on canvas, 44 x 59.5 cm Collection: Royal Air Force Museum
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: A painting depicting the Pau Grand Prix of 1954, shows Jean Behra’s Gordini fending off a strong challenge from Maurice Trintignant and his Ferrari 500 F2. The nose of Behra’s Gordini bears the evidence of his contact with Farina at the start. The Gordinis were very fast but also rather fragile and unreliable, probably the result of the team being hopelessly penurious. If success eluded Gordini in the major Grand Prix he would fare much better in the lesser events. These races, still supported by the major teams, were hotly contested and the painting shows Behra winning one of these non-championship contests.
‘Jaguar Mk 1V Saloon’: Or ‘The Remains of the Day’ perhaps. The pre-war range of Jaguar Saloons returned in 1945 as truly Jaguars. The ‘SS’ removed as a result of unpleasant connections. The post-war range of these saloon and drophead cars, known retrospectively as Mk 1Vs, were delivered with 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 litre engines.
The Last Grand Prix. The 1968 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami was the last F1 race for Jim Clark.
This painting of Moss leading Ritchie Ginther and Jo Bonnier into Station hairpin was signed by the great man (just to the left, on the pavement) at a Coy’s Historic meeting.
1970 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, Jochen Rindt, Lotus 72.
Pescara, 1957. Stirling Moss in the Vanwall on his way to win the race from Fangio in a Maserati 250F. Here, Moss is ahead of Musso’s Ferrari, which retired on lap 9.
John Surtees, Cooper, shows him winning the 1966 Mexican Grand Prix and finishing second in the world championship to Jack Brabham who’s following him here.
Montoya, Williams FW23, leads Barrichello, Ferrari F2001-B. Italian GP 2001
My interpretation of a Walter Gotschke painting. It was a great moment for me back in 1983 to have had that opportunity to meet him, and to have work hanging alongside his. Here I portrayed Richard Seaman winning the 1938 German Grand Prix in the Mercedes-Benz W154.
People
Pen & Ink of Jim Clark
Donald Healey
Sir William Lyons
W.O. Bentley
And now for something completely different!
More inspiration. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, Said the Lady of Shalott is a painting by John William Waterhouse completed in 1915, one of several by Waterhouse that depicts a scene from the Tennyson poem, “The Lady of Shalott.” Says Diggens, Waterhouse was exceptional amongst Victorian artists and has always been a great inspiration like so many from that period. Alas, this is not the original but my own interpretation of this fantastic work.
Below are links to all the previous articles about Rodney Diggens…
In the grand traditions of magazine illustration. Graphically impeccable. Superb.
The brushwork expression of ‘atmospheric disturbance’ about the cars in motion defines the fourth dimension of motion through time in these paintings.
The depth of the discipline is expressed by the clouds, the shadows angle and the light behind the windows.
Bravo!