Existing comment:
Mark Clark, 1896-1984:
General Mark Clark acquired his first distinction of World War II by leading a reconnaissance mission to Morocco in preparation for the Allied invasion of North African in late 1942. As Fifth Army commander and then as head of all Allied forces in Italy, he went on to play a central role in finally overcoming the stiff German resistance there; in May 1945 he had the satisfaction of accepting the surrender of German forces in Italy. Clark never let rank keep him from the front lines, and his frequent ventures into combat zones earned him the deep affection of many an enlisted man.
At one point, Clark lost his temper with Pietro Annigoni's progress on this picture and stormed out of the studio, leaving his army jacket. Although Annigoni ultimately delivered the portrait, he kept Clark's jacket for use as a painting coat.
Pietro Annigoni, 1946 |