"War" by Dorian Cleavenger

Cleavenger painted this unpublished piece in art school or shortly thereafter, probably in the 1990s, based on information from the artist. He likely did the painting in the style of a classic men's magazine cover, based on what he wrote on the back.

He was probably experimenting with watercolors; his published paintings are in oil or acrylic. It's also one of his few, if only, paintings about World War II.

The Marine looking over his shoulder is based on an iconic World War II photo, "The Weary Warrior," that a Life magazine photographer snapped on the last day of the battle for Saipan, July 8, 1944.

"The Weary Warrior" is Private First Class Thomas Ellis Underwood, 4th Marine Division, from St. Petersburg, Florida, who was killed in action about eight months later in March 1945 on Iwo Jima. See https://1-24thmarines.com/research/the-weary-warrior/#read.

The painting is 12.25" x 17.5"