‘A Deadly Career’ by Gerald Wadsworth

Artistic Licence Renewed is delighted to help unveil Gerald Wadsworth’s latest James Bond painting, “A Deadly Career”. The painting recorded Bond’s life as a spy & assassin for Her Majesty’s Government.

Matt Sherman of the Bond Fan Events site tells us more.

Photo: Matt Sherman

Last year, the International Spy Museum in Washington DC commissioned Gerry to provide them with an original artwork. On December 30, Gerry and I brought more than 20 Bond fans to a private unveiling of “A Deadly Career” at the museum. To celebrate, our fan group enjoyed a private sale of Gerry’s artwork, toured the museum’s 50 Years of Bond Villains exhibit, and attended the International Spy Gala together.

The Gala is Washington’s biggest and best New Year’s Eve party, with over 800 in attendance. Gerry and Amy Wadsworth and our group entered the party early at 6:30 for a champagne toast, before Bond expert Gary Firuta shared from the main stage. We were treated to a four-course dinner, crepes after midnight and more.

Bond videos and Bond music played all night at this black tie night and we thrilled to casino gaming with prizes, hot and cold buffets and top-shelf liquor all night, unique access and prop gifts to bring home. (Here I must tip my hat to my wonderful spouse, Janine Sherman, who won a prize, shouting at the top of her lungs that Sean Bean played “006” in GoldenEye, when the Gala was asked who the villain of the film was.)

Now, ALR’s readers know Gerry’s art from interviews and highlight articles here and from Gerry’s James Bond Art website. They also know that before now, Gerry has painted one Bond subject at a time. But to create a masterwork for the museum, Gerry chose select items from nearly every Fleming mission.

Painted on Arches Cold Pressed watercolor paper, & framed in gun metal gray with brilliant white matt. | Painting Image Size: 16.125″ High x 22″ wide

In which we find James Bond, retired from the Secret Service, & still living in his Chelsea flat, comfortably situated off the King’s Road. His treasured housekeeper, May, an elderly Scotswoman, has long since passed, & Bond has hired another woman to take her place. Arranged on a long Queen Anne table in Bond’s studio are mementos from his deadly career, objects representing his successes & failures in his line of business: killing enemies & foiling organizations that threaten the Crown, the Service & himself. These objects are as tarnished with the long years of treachery, ruthlessness & fear as Bond is. Each object tells a story, reminding him how close to death he came with every new assignment, every occasion when he was launched, like a loaded projectile, across the world toward some distant target of M’s choosing. Kill or be killed. Bond gave it little thought on the job, following every lead that would bring success & satisfaction to the Admiral to whom he had dedicated his loyalty, trust & life.

Artistic Licence Renewed has been looped in on the progress of this magnificent art for months, as Gerry labored on props, sketches and watercolors, and spent much time contemplating subjects to depict. Gerry confided often with ALR, and we appreciate Tom’s deep love for and knowledge of Bond and ALR’s long support of Gerry’s craft.

Keeping the British end up.

Spies like us.

Left to Right: Marketing Director, Museum President, VP Exhibits & Programs, ex-CIA spy covert and clandestine operation and museum founder Board President, Gerry Wadsworth and Matt Sherman.

Gerry Wadsworth and ‘His Deadly Career’

Here, Gerry discusses some of the objects in the painting:

James Bond’s Medals for His Military Service

At the end of Moonraker, Bond refused the KCMG medal – Knight Commander of the Order St. Michael & St. George – he didn’t want the title of Knight. But I decided to give it to him anyway, as well as the medals he might have received later in life before he retired. His “lettuce” as he called it, would have denoted the DSO, (Distinguished Service Order), OBE (Order of the British Empire), Campaign Service Medal, 1939-1949 Star, Atlantic Star, Pacific Star, Defense Medal, and War Medal. I’ve also included the DSC (Distinguished Service Cross), Campaign Service Medal 1962, UN Former Republic of Yugoslavia Medal, NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia, and the Rhodesia Medal. He also wears the Parachutists Badge with Wings as well as the Fleet Air-Arm Officer Pilot Wings. I decided that Bond should have all the medals for his services rendered to the Crown. And why not?

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – Bond’s Coat of Arms, Blofeld’s Fake Family Crest
Chapter 6 – Bond of Bond Street?

‘What’s that?’ Griffon Or looked at him in astonishment. ‘You are not interested in your
line of descent? This is the very warp and woof of history, my dear Commander Bond . . . The coat of arms, for instance. Surely that must concern you, be at least of profound interest
to your family, to your own children? . . . Argent on a chevron sable three bezants.’ He held up the book so that Bond could see. ‘A bezant is a golden ball, as I am sure you know. Three balls.’

Bond commented dryly, ‘That is certainly a valuable bonus’ – the irony was lost on Griffon Or.

Griffon Or broke in excitedly, ‘And this charming motto of the line, “The World is not Enough”. You do not wish to have the right to it?’

Chapter 7 – The Hairy Heel of Achilles
‘Our client is now anxious to have these facts established in order legally to obtain right
to the de Bleuville title.

‘In the meantime, our client proposes to continue to adopt, albeit provisionally, the title of Comte de Bleuville together with the family arms which he informs us are “Argent four fusils in fesse gules” and the de Bleuville motto which, in English, is “For Hearth and Home.”

‘That’s a good one!’ interjected Bond.